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Tilhill Forestry begins planting new 18-hectare woodland on the site of a former County Durham surface mine

North East employer and family owned-firm Banks Mining has been working on the landscaping and aftercare of its former Bradley site, which sits between Leadgate and Dipton, since mining and restoration work was completed three years ago.

As part of Banks Mining’s plans, Tilhill Forestry has completed the ground preparation and commenced planting. Around 36,000 trees and shrubs such as pedunculate oak, sessile oak, hazel, cherry, crab apple, silver and downy birch are to be included in the new woodland, which is expected to be completed by the end of March. The first 2,000 trees have been planted with the enthusiastic help of local primary school children, charities and community groups during a week-long series of planting sessions on the site.

New footpaths are being created to maximise public access to the site and will run alongside the others across the site that have been reinstated as part of the restoration process.

The woodland project has been brought forward with the support from the Bradley Liaison Committee, which is chaired by Cllr Alan Shields and made up of members of Durham County Council, local groups and residents, with funding through the England Woodland Creation Offer.

Louise Harrison, project manager at Banks Mining, says:

“The aftercare period of our mining projects is just as important as all the other elements, and we’ve had a dedicated team of aftercare specialists working at the Bradley site over the last three years to deliver a range of landscape benefits.

“Planting this new woodland will enhance the long-term biodiversity benefits we can provide and will add additional wildlife habitats to the site while also providing more opportunities for local people to enjoy it for leisure purposes.

“We’re very grateful to the Bradley Liaison Committee, Durham County Council, Tilhill Forestry and the Forestry Commission for their support in bringing these plans to fruition.

“Everything is in place for us to be able to make swift progress with the planting, and we’re excited to see this valuable new community asset taking shape.”

Jack Wilson, Tilhill Forestry, Senior Forest Manager, North & Central England said:

“It is a pleasure to be working with Banks Mining to help deliver this new woodland which will help with, enhancing biodiversity, capturing carbon, and offering a great space for local residents to enjoy.”

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