Woodland Trust to create England’s largest new native forest

England's largest continuous new native forest is to be planted in Hertfordshire by the Woodland Trust, the UK's leading woodland conservation charity, creating a history-making broadleaf woodland covering 850 acres near St Albans.

The proposed new forest will offer massive benefits for people and wildlife alike, will be open to the public and will create a massive woodland asset within 20 miles of the centre of London.

The Trust is intent on planting more than 600,000 native trees on land it is planning to buy near Sandridge, between St Albans and Harpenden, which will create a forest area bigger than London's 770-acre post-2012 Olympic 'Urban Park'. It will also be the single largest native woodland site owned in England by the Trust.

Site purchase, planting of trees and management costs for its first five years total £8.5m, prompting the Woodland Trust's largest ever fund-raising campaign, confirms Sue Holden, Trust chief executive, who said:

"A continuous new native forest of this size has never been created in England before."

"We have been searching for some time for a major site to buy in the south east. Our plans for the new forest at Sandridge are truly historic in scale and offer an unmissable opportunity to plant such a huge number of trees and benefit so many people" she said.

"Native woodland is our equivalent of the rainforest. Woods and trees are not only good for the soul, they are life enhancing and make a real difference to people's health and wellbeing."

"We estimate that two million people live within 15 miles of Sandridge alone. Our new wood will provide a large and accessible space for people at a time when there is huge pressure to develop and build on land in the south east".

The land, currently farmland, has pockets of irreplaceable ancient woodland providing precious wildlife habitat. But the site also offers the charity its most exciting woodland creation opportunity in England in its 36-year history.

"Woodland establishes very quickly," said Sue. "Within two years a tree will be twice the size of the child that planted it, and within 12 years we see a wonderful young forest taking shape."

England has lost half its ancient woodland since the 1930's, either to development, agriculture or planting with non-native conifers - leaving just five per cent of native woodland cover and making England one of the least wooded countries in Europe.

The Trust's vision involves communities and children in planting trees to create new woodland wildlife habitat. The first trees may be planted as early as this winter, Sue confirmed.

"Our imagination is running riot with all the community, health, leisure, wildlife, education and habitat benefits these new woods will deliver. Sandridge, for instance, could represent a huge asset for the capital and is less than 20 miles from Marble Arch."

"This is a major challenge for us, but its success depends on huge financial support from the public, our members and supporters, businesses and other organisations. We never cease to be amazed at the generosity prompted by our fund-raising appeals, however, and I hope that everyone will share our excitement over this, our biggest ever challenge."