WOKINGHAM is to gain a new wood, as the borough looks to remember those who died with covid since the start of the pandemic.
Next week, a meeting of Wokingham Borough Council’s ruling executive will vote on the plan.
If approved, the woodland will be established in a south-eastern corner of Rooks Nest Farm in Finchampstead.
The 7.7-hectare plot is immediately north of California Country Park and would become an extension of it.
It is planned to install 6,600 native trees, plus wildflowers. There will also be a public space with a sculpture or memorial, as well as benches and footpaths.
The council add it will be within easy access of the borough’s greenway network from Arborfield Green to Finchampstead.
The plan for the wood has been in the works since the summer of 2020, when Cllr Clive Jones suggested it in a council meeting, and it has always had cross-party support. In January 2021, the then executive member for the climate emergency, Cllr Gregor Murray, brought the initial plans to a council motion as part of the council’s tree strategy.
Wokingham Borough Council said that there are no other current plans for the Rooks Nest Farm site, and the council already owns the land making it relatively straightforward to set up.
If the go-ahead is given, work is planned to start in September, and be finished early next year.
The scheme would also help meet the council’s goals to help the borough achieve net-zero carbon status by 2030, reach international Tree Cities of the World standards and convert 170 hectares in the borough to new woodland, hedgerows and orchards.
It will also increase biodiversity by offering a richer habitat for wildlife, improve air quality by absorbing harmful pollutants and reduce the flood risk by soaking up surface water.
Council leader Cllr Clive Jones said: “Having come up with and proposed this idea, I’m delighted to see it come closer to reality. For every death in the pandemic, many more people were dealt the cruel blow of a sudden, unexpected loss which they will carry for the rest of their lives.
“While we offered a wide range of support to our residents, many in the borough are still coming to terms with the past few years’ events. Even for those whose friends and relatives thankfully remained well, it was a deeply frightening and unsettling period.
“It’s important that people have a peaceful space to reflect on these things and to know that, as a community, we stand together and recognise those who are still grieving as well as those who are no longer with us.”
He added: “The benefits will last for many generations, even for those not yet born, as time spent in nature improves people’s wellbeing generally. Given this and the positive environmental impact, it’s a sound investment which will more than pay for itself.”
The budget for the scheme is
up to £188,385, which will be used on planning and installation.
The upfront cost for supplying and planting the trees will be funded through the Woodland Trust’s Emergency Tree Fund, which has committed £300,000 to various forms of planting across the borough.
And the council says running costs will be offset by people using nearby facilities such as the café at California Country Park, and through “biodiversity net gain units” – a Government-backed scheme that requires developers to offset their impacts on wildlife in the borough by enhancing other areas.
The council is also offering free saplings to residents and businesses who want to plant a tree, part of the garden forest initiative, which is also supported by the Woodland Trust.