65-acre Community Woodland To Be Created at South Brent

With the support of the Government’s Trees for Climate Land Acquisition Fund, South Hams District Council have purchased a 65-acre site to be transformed into a community woodland, orchard, and market garden. Together with The Woodland Trust and Sustainable South Brent, the ambitious project aims to tackle climate change and increase biodiversity by 20% over four years. Tree planting will start later this year with a community planting event.

Cllr Julian Brazil said: “We are so thrilled and excited about this project. As an ambitious administration this is all about what we are trying to achieve. It emphasises our priority around the climate change and biodiversity agenda, but it does so much more. We will be working with local schools, social prescribers, and other local community groups. It will leave a lasting legacy for the South Hams.

“We hope to plant around 25,000 trees on this site. It is the start of us planting a tree for every resident of the South Hams. Thank you so much to all those involved. My fellow councillor John McKay, as executive lead, and local councillors Guy Pannell and David Hancock have all helped to get us this far. We all want to make a difference.”

As part of the woodland, the fields will continue to be a productive landscape, with parts of the site still being grazed. As part of the varied community proposals, an orchard and a market garden will be created in partnership with local group, Sustainable South Brent to deliver the project for their local area.

With this project (and one other potential site in the pipeline),  South Hams District Council will be able to reach 50% of its ambitious tree planting goal “one tree for each resident” by May 2027.  If you know of land for sale that may be suitable and your community is interested in learning more about creating its own bit of woodland, please contact Rob Sekula at Rob.Sekula@swdevon.gov.uk.

‍