Thousands of trees planted to create west Cumbria forest

The government said it hoped the community forest would bring people closer to nature and create green jobs

A forest of thousands of trees spanning 150 hectares - the size of 210 football pitches - is to be planted along Cumbria's west coast.

The project, costing £220,000, is being funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs' (Defra) Nature for Climate Fund.

The government said it hoped the community forest would bring people closer to nature and create green jobs.

Defra said trees were at the forefront of a plan to achieve net zero by 2050.

The tree-planting programme is being run in a partnership between Defra, England's Community Forests and Cumbria County Council.

Thousands of trees will be planted, the equivalent of one tree for every resident in Copeland, Barrow and Allerdale over the next five years, the partnership said.

A spokesman for Defra said: "The proposed area of Cumbria where the forest will be planted has high levels of economic and social deprivation and only 9.9% woodland cover - 3% below the national average.

"By growing trees where they are most needed, corridors of woodlands will be created along the west coast of Cumbria from Barrow to Carlisle.

"Trees are at the forefront of government's plans to achieve net zero by 2050, helping to bend the curve of biodiversity loss, create green jobs and better connect people with nature as we build back greener."