Large woodland to be created in East Yorkshire

The woodland will be created on land around the Cottingham water pumping plant

More than 38,000 native trees are to be planted, creating a woodland in East Yorkshire.

The 25-hectare forest will be grown by Yorkshire Water around its pumping station in Cottingham near Hull.

About 24 native trees species such as oak, birch, aspen, rowan and wild cherry will be used.

It will form part of the Humber Forest project, which aims to plant up to 300,000 this year.

Hazel Earnshaw, Yorkshire Water's lead countryside and woodland advisor, said East Yorkshire had just 5% of land covered in trees, compared with the English average of 10%.

"This woodland will be on the outskirts of the least wooded city in the UK," she said.

"We are always looking at better ways to use our land to help improve the environment and protect water quality and this project at Cottingham will help to do both."

Ms Earnshaw said there would be public access to parts of the wood.

The project is supported by the Woodland Trust and local residents can get involved in community tree planting days to be held after Christmas, the utility company said.

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