East Nethershields

The woodland design is spread across two sites, ‘Lot 1’ and ‘Lot 2’. Lot 1 comprises predominantly natives broadleaves, such as rowan, birch, alder and oak. There is one area of Sitka spruce for timber production and several areas of native Scots pine mixed with birch. ‘Lot 2’ comprises native broadleaves across the whole area, using smaller trees and shrubs along edges to soften the appearance of the woodland boundary. Moisture-favouring species such as willow and alder will be used in damper areas, which will help to alleviate local flooding issues. whilst creating a wet woodland habitat.

For further information, read the landscape report above.

130,000 trees will be planted

The woodland will be predominantly native broadleaves (61.43 hectares), including species such as oak, rowan, birch, alder, and poplar.

5.73 hectares of the woodland will comprise a mixture of Scot pine and birch; these native trees are lacking in the landscape, and so this represents a fantastic opportunity to bring back native woodland into the landscape, it is intended to manage the broad leaves as a long-term carbon store, without harvesting. This means that the woodland character should diversify as trees mature and grow at different rates. All this can be seen as a positive influence on landscape character in the long term.

The area dedicated to productive Sitka spruce (4.52 hectares) will comprise 75% Sitka spruce, 15% Lodgepole pine and 10% aspen. This will be harvested and restocked through ‘continuous cover’ management, meaning that trees will be selectively felled, with a proportion of trees remaining standing at all times. This mixture not only creates a more varied appearance, but it also supports healthy growth through diversity, while providing home–grown timber through the productive element.

Unfortunately the UK is the second biggest importer of timber in the world and continues to import 80% of its timber from overseas which carries a significant carbon footprint. So we need trees which will supply the wood we need for our everyday lives – for the frames of our homes and furnishings, fences and decking, packaging and much more.  As pressure increases on global supplies of wood, failing to grow more at home risks over-exploiting valuable natural forests around the world. 

Compared with a newly-planted (or regenerating) native woodland, forests planted for timber sequester carbon many times faster, making them a supercharged carbon capture technology in the fight against the Climate Emergency.

More importantly, productive forests do far more than store carbon on-site. Using solar power, its trees transform atmospheric carbon dioxide into wood, a versatile material which can replace concrete, steel, brick and plastic in our supply chains. Wood is the ultimate 21st century renewable material, which smart design and technology can transform into zero-carbon, low-cost homes, plastic-free packaging, sustainable clothing, and many other products.

So productive forestry such as this will not only absorb carbon from the air, they store it in wood products and substitute damaging fossil materials for carbon-negative wood. They have the power to transform our economy from a carbon catastrophe into a gigantic carbon sink.

In the Our Planet film, How to restore our forests, Sir David Attenborough calls for more ‘tree farms’ not only to supply timber, but to create new habitat networks and supplement the biodiversity of natural forests.

To find out more visit Confor’s Forestry & Timber Q&A

25,000 tonnes of CO2e is set to be sequestered – equivalent to emissions from the annual energy use of approximately 2,300 homes or roughly equivalent to the annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from approximately 4,600 cars.   

Trees are essential for people, wildlife and the environment. They are one of our best tools for sequestering carbon and therefore tackling the climate crisis we find ourselves in. Woodlands are particularly precious habitats for land-based wildlife, improving water quality run off, whilst preventing flooding, so planting trees can lead to substantial improvement for local biodiversity.  

Woodlands are special places to visit, and they are known for their social and mental health benefits. The proximity of this proposed woodland to Chapelton and Strathaven means that these benefits may be enjoyed by the local community. Accordingly, the suitability of this site is recognised in the local woodland strategy, and it will form part of the Central Scotland Green Network, which aims to restore the landscape in this region. 

Growing trees for timber production can also help tackle the climate crisis and contribute to the country’s transition to Net Zero carbon emissions. As the trees grow, they sequester carbon, and this carbon is subsequently stored within buildings themselves if timber is used in their construction.  

The site is open access in accordance with the Scottish Outdoor Access Code. There will be gaps within the planting areas to create areas of open ground and the ability for visitors to walk around and enjoy the woodland. 

You can find more information on access in the final landscape report above.

The proposed woodland is expected to benefit the existing bird and mammal communities. The increased structural diversity provided by woodland trees and open ground will create new habitats for wildlife, including shelter and nesting sites leading to net biodiversity gain across the site. 

The existing areas of deep peat and calcareous grassland within the site will be left as open ground and enhanced further by reducing grazing pressure. Tree species will be selected according to the context of each part of the site to benefit the land and ensure successful establishment.

The ecology report concludes the woodland creation scheme will benefit bird communities of scrub and woodland, creating habitats for species such as sparrowhawk and goshawk, whilst Red squirrels can significantly benefit from new woodlands with various species of different ages that provide a food source.