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Two million trees for Vale Royal What does The Mersey Forest mean to you? You may think of trees and woodlands, and in a way you’d be right, after all, there have been over two million trees planted in Vale Royal alone! However, it means much, much more than that. Cheshire County Council and Vale Royal Borough Council are enthusiastic partners in The Mersey Forest where projects are contributing not only to the natural environment but also to the economic and social environments of local residents. Community woodlands create places for people to play, places to relax, places to meet and places to learn. These places also help the economy – attracting important investment into the area. The success of The Mersey Forest project is down to the dedicated partnership that works together to deliver a real change on the ground. In a recent survey, 95% of respondents supported the work of The Mersey Forest and, critically, 60% of people said that they had noticed a positive difference in their local environment due to increased woodland cover. Not bad for only 12 years work, especially when you consider that the full visual impact of the new woodlands will only be achieved after 20 years when the trees are taller and more established. Involving local people at every stage of the process is important to The Mersey Forest. As much as local people want new woodland areas they also want to see an improvement in the local economy, job creation, tourism, health and education. The Mersey Forest activities in Vale Royal all contribute to these. This document outlines some of the many schemes already in place through the Forest Partnership and looks to a successful future with all the partners in Vale Royal. Barrie R. Hardern, Chairman, Cheshire County Council The Mayor of Vale Royal, Councillor Norman Wright The Mersey Forest in Vale Royal Within Vale Royal, The Mersey Forest has created over 500 hectares of new community woodland, increasing it by an impressive 28%. The Mersey Forest advises Vale Royal landowners on environmental stewardship and provides information on woodland planting and management. A high level of community engagement is critical to the work of The Mersey Forest. Several ‘Friends of’ groups, including the Friends of Anderton and Marbury, Furey Wood, Owley Wood, Church Wood and Marshall’s Arm, operate across the community woodlands to ensure the success of the project. The Mersey Forest Partnership is tackling the legacy of the Industrial Revolution and breathing new life into previously disused places. Land Transformation The Northwest is one of the most Financial support for the land beautiful parts of the British Isles. transformation came from English However, the legacy of the Industrial Partnerships, Northwest Development Revolution has left large areas of derelict Agency, the Countryside Agency and land scattered across the region. The the Capital Modernisation Fund. Mersey Forest is tackling this head on with land regeneration projects and Nearly 1,000 hectares of open space, partnership working to breathe new life rich in wildlife and local heritage, are into previously disused places. now used by local residents for walking, jogging, dog walking, cycling, horse- Widely regarded as the ‘cradle of the riding, bird-watching and community chemical industry’, Cheshire is no events. Northwich Community stranger to land regeneration. The area Woodlands are an important educational around Northwich once suffered from asset, with local schools and colleges neglect arising from the salt industry studying the industrial, archaeological and the subsequent landfill sites. and ecological aspects of the site past For many years the area was entirely and present. inaccessible – a blight on the landscape that served no useful purpose for the Northwich Community Woodlands have local community. already made an important contribution to the local economy. The Anderton Thanks to a broad partnership of Boat Lift and Marbury Country Park both Cheshire County Council, Groundwork lie within its boundaries and, together Macclesfield & Vale Royal, Vale Royal with the Lion Salt Works, attracts visitors Borough Council, The Mersey Forest, from across the region and beyond. Forestry Commission, Cheshire Wildlife Trust, Countryside Agency, Friends Northwich Community Woodlands are of Furey Wood, Friends of Anderton officially award-winning woodlands too! and Marbury and British Waterways, The Woodlands won a RTPI Award the area now known as Northwich for Land Recreation and Community Community Woodlands has been Access in 2005, acknowledging the transformed into an attractive, safe tremendous transformation of the once and usable environment that benefits derelict eyesore into the attractive and the local community, businesses and well-used community resource they visitors alike. are today. Exercise, relaxation, education or just to pass some spare time; the community forests in Vale Royal are a fantastic resource. Health and Recreation The Mersey Forest creates areas for what woodlands and green space can local communities to use for many offer. From this, people may be more different reasons. Exercise, relaxation, likely to use the woodlands in the future education or just to pass some spare for exercise and community events – time; the community forests in Vale encouraging a more active, healthier Royal are a fantastic resource. lifestyle and increasing the social opportunities for local residents. At the Anderton Extravaganza, a community celebration event in May The Mersey Forest is a key partner of Investment 2004, people were introduced to some the Vale Royal Greenways initiative. This of the many activities available to them. aspirational project aims to create a Funding is imperative to carry out all out a 15-year regeneration framework, Organised to celebrate the opening network of Greenways across Vale Royal of the work of The Mersey Forest. To which provides a unique opportunity of the Carey Park and Carden’s Ferry linking sites such as Delamere Forest enable this, The Mersey Forest team to reposition Northwich as a key town footbridge, the day included guided with the towns and villages. is dedicated to sourcing and applying within Cheshire and the North West, walks, cycle rides, boat trips, morris for funding on behalf of the partners, based around a powerful combination dancing, art workshops, pond dipping Step into Cheshire, Festival of Walks businesses and communities. This of a high quality market town offering and orienteering sessions. in Frodsham, and Cheshire Orchard resource has proved invaluable in Vale quality shopping and public services Project are also helping to create healthy Royal for many environmental projects. as well as waterside visitor, leisure and By creating and encouraging access to landscapes by providing recreational residential developments. high quality environments, and giving events, and by giving fruit trees to The Mersey Forest provide a catalyst, local communities a taster of different communities and schools, creating new enabling Section 106 money secured One example of this landscape activities, events like these show exactly habitat and encouraging healthy eating. from planning agreements for industrial improvement can be found around development to be spent on community the Winnington pipeline. The pipeline woodland projects. For the last six covers a 5km stretch from Eon’s site in years The Mersey Forest has been Winnington to Brunner Mond at Lostock. managing a £100,000 landscape fund in partnership with Vale Royal Borough As an overland pipe, some sections Council, Cheshire County Council and are a visible eyesore for nearby the businesses involved in developing a communities. The Section 106 funding steam pipeline through Northwich. has been used to plant avenues of trees, woodlands and hedgerows Northwich has a very definite ‘vision’ of to screen the pipe, reducing its the future. The Northwich Vision sets visual impact. People who will not sustain trees will soon live in a world that will not sustain people. Bryce Nelson Visitor Economy Forests are already popular destinations sub-region looks towards 2015 where for leisure and tourism. In the Northwest the targets are to increase visitor spend alone, over 30 million day visits are to £1.5billion and support 27,000 jobs made to the region’s forests and in the sector. Research has shown that woodlands every year. the Cheshire countryside experience is synonymous nationally with high value Many visitors to the forests are there to quality packages, and rural areas of take advantage of the outdoor space Cheshire have great potential in future for traditional pursuits such as walking, for tourism growth. cycling, camping and bird-watching. Within The Mersey Forest a diverse The Mersey Forest is not simply reliant range of environments are on offer – on the traditional visitor to woodlands. green spaces, wetlands, woodlands They are part of the wider Forestry and wildflower areas – all of which Commission’s project to bring music attract visitors from far and wide. to the forest with a series of concerts Education across the UK. Delamere Forest has, Vale Royal has an outstanding cluster in the past, played host to artists Reconnecting young people to their Barnton School, Northwich, knows all of sites which attract visitors to the including Ian Brown, Sugababes and environment is a priority, especially for about the advantages of bringing the area. Northwich Community Status Quo. those living in urban areas, with little or environment to life. As part of a Mersey Woodlands, the Frodsham Ancient no access to the countryside. Education Forest project, with numerous partners, Woodlands and Delamere Forest Park These innovative concerts attract a nurtures an understanding and respect the school now has a well managed are three such areas that make new group of visitor to the forests – a for the environment and can include woodland area with paths, benches perfect visitor destinations. massive 5,000 visitors per concert and wider issues such as climate change, and even a small orchard and pond 20,000 visitors each year! These are biodiversity and recycling.