Forestry England buys Northumberland plot for woodland

Up to one million trees are due to be planted in the Great Northumberland Forest

Forestry England has bought a 100-hectare plot as it starts creating the Great Northumberland Forest.

The land at Monkridge, West Woodburn, will be planted as part of the 500-hectare project.

A new 145-hectare woodland has already been planted at Rushy Knowe on the shore of Kielder Water which Forestry England's North District already owned.

The project will see up to one million trees planted by 2024, the government has previously pledged.

Jim Lee, area land agent for Forestry England, said the Monkridge site was an "unmissable opportunity".

"This is the first significant area of land we have bought to plant trees in over 20 years and marks a symbolic return, 100 years on, to our first purpose of woodland creation," he said.

The deal for Monkridge was completed following screening by the Forestry Commission under Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) regulations - the equivalent of planning permission for creating a new woodland, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

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