Elemore Woods
PRESS RELEASE
11 January 2007
ELEMORE WOODS ‘GROWS’ WITH £1.35M EXTENSION
A unique landscape between Durham and Sunderland is to become the area’s largest publicly accessible woodland, thanks to the Woodland Trust, local people and charity grants.
The Woodland Trust, the UK’s leading woodland conservation charity, has completed its £1.35 million deal to acquire and manage 83 hectares (203 acres) of mostly arable land adjacent to its 71 hectare (175 acre) Elemore Woods on Easington Lane, Houghton Le Spring. The purchase of Elemore Woods’ extension was made with help from local fundraising, plus generous grants from County Durham Environmental Trust (CDENT), the Heritage Lottery Fund, the SITA Trust and Biffaward.
The Elemore Woods Extension is part of the unique ‘magnesian limestone’ landscape in the North East of England. It contains a small quarry area and Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). It also includes a small area of mature woodland, a very rich wildlife environment.
This winter, most of the site is still arable fields but over the next two years it will be planted with more than 90,000 native broadleaved trees and shrubs to become part of a continuous area of woodland stretching 4 km (2.5 miles) between Easington Lane in Tyne and Wear and South Hetton to Littletown, Co Durham.
Elemore Woods is now the Trust’s largest site in the north of England, at just under 154 hectares (380 acres). Around 3km of paths and rides will be directly accessible on foot from South View, just off the A182 South Hetton Road at Easington Lane.
The Woodland Trust aims to involve the local community in the creation of the new wood and local schoolchildren will be involved in planting trees on the site as part of the Woodland Trust’s nationwide ‘Tree for All’ programme. Other community events will also take place at the site.
Sara Lyons, regional development officer for the Woodland Trust, said: “We’re delighted, and we’re very grateful to everyone who contributed their efforts to produce such a brilliant result. The Extension enables the Woodland Trust to put a large area of accessible woodland within easy reach of thousands of people in the North East of England, and will safeguard the future of a SSSI habitat unique to this part of the country.”
Supporters have contributed over a million pounds to the project. Major awards came from County Durham Environmental Trust (CDENT), the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), Biffaward and SITA Trust Ltd. Local charitable trusts and a major supporter of the Woodland Trust also made vital contributions. A local appeal currently has over £8,700 in pledges.
Over the past 10 years, and through the Landfill Communities Fund, CDENT has distributed over £10 million to projects that support the environment and people working, living and visiting County Durham, Darlington, South Tyneside, Gateshead and Sunderland. John Wearmouth, Chairman of CDENT said: “As part of our 10th anniversary celebrations, CDENT was delighted to initiate and support this significant project with a grant of over £½million to start the ball rolling and enable the project to proceed. We are pleased to see other major funders have come on board, and hope others in the region will continue to give it their backing.”
A grant towards the purchase and management of Elemore Woods extension site is HLF’s latest involvement in nature and wildlife conservation in the area. Dr Keith Bartlett, Heritage Lottery Fund’s regional manager for the North East, said: “The site sits on the magnesian limestone plateau which has the potential to be an interesting habitat unique to the area, and the large woodland site will be a wonderful place to explore. We’re pleased to support a project that is unique in terms of its ecology, and is still easily accessible from neighbouring towns.”
Martin Bettington, Chairman of Biffaward, said “Woodland once cloaked most of Britain, but we now have one of the lowest coverage levels in Europe. Biffaward is delighted to support the Woodland Trust in this important and worthwhile project which will benefit both people and the environment. This vast woodland area will create a ‘living landscape’, connecting pockets of existing wildlife and enabling species to thrive over a much wider area.”
SITA Trust is a major funder of projects within the Landfill Communities Fund. Since beginning its work in 1997, almost £60 million of landfill tax credits have been distributed to hundreds of community and wildlife projects across the UK. Liz Lowery of SITA Trust said: “We look for projects that enrich our natural heritage and involve the community at the same time. Elemore Woods, with the Extension, will be a huge natural asset for everyone in living in Durham, Chester-le-Street, Sunderland and Seaham and is a classic example of the sort of project that SITA Trust funds within its Enriching Nature programme.”
Elemore Woods will need more funding to ensure its successful transformation from arable land to new native woodland, so the Woodland Trust’s appeal is still open. Local people will be able to find out more, and have their say in suggesting ideas for the future of Elemore Woods, at a meeting to be held in early spring.
“Elemore Woods is now ready for the creation of new woodland for the benefit of both people and wildlife. The Woodland Trust is looking forward to working with people and groups in the area,” said Sara Lyons.
Ends
Notes for Editors:
For media enquiries contact:
Woodland Trust Press Office on 01476 581121, email: media [at] woodland [dash] trust [dot] org [dot] uk
The Woodland Trust: The Woodland Trust is the UK’s leading woodland conservation charity. It has 300,000 members and supporters. The Trust has four key aims: i) No further loss of ancient woodland; ii) Restoring and improving the biodiversity of woods; iii) Increasing new native woodland; iv) Increasing people’s understanding and enjoyment of woodland.
Established in 1972, the Woodland Trust now has over 1,000 sites in its care covering approximately 20,000 hectares (50,000 acres). Access to its sites is free. Further news can be found at www.woodland-trust.org.uk
Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) enables communities to celebrate, look after and learn more about the nation’s diverse heritage. From great museums and historic buildings to local parks and beauty spots, or recording and celebrating traditions, customs and history, HLF grants open up the nation’s heritage for everyone to enjoy. It has supported more than 16,500 projects, allocating over £3.3 billion across the UK. For more information contact Steven Hughes, 0191 255 7577 email: stevenh [at] hlf [dot] org [dot] uk Website www.hlf.org.uk
County Durham Environmental Trust: CDENT was formed ten years ago and has allocated funds of over £10 million – received under the Landfill Communities Fund (formerly the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme) – to a host of projects that benefit the local environment and the people who live, work and visit County Durham, Darlington, Gateshead, South Tyneside and Sunderland.
www.cdent.co.uk
Landfill Communities Fund (formerly the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme)
Landfill tax was introduced in 1996 to encourage more sustainable ways of managing waste. The legislation also brought about the Landfill Communities Fund which allows landfill operators to voluntarily donate 6.6% of their landfill tax liability to environmental improvement projects.
The Landfill Communities Fund is independently regulated on behalf of HM Government’s Revenue & Customs by ENTRUST.
Biffaward is a multi-million pound environment fund managed by the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts (RSWT), which utilises landfill tax credits donated by Biffa Waste Services. Grants made from the fund since 1997 currently amount to more than £90 million, supporting many worthwhile environmental projects.
www.biffaward.org