Sadiq Khan reveals plans for two new woodlands

The Mayor of London has announced new projects that will improve Londoners’ access to nature and create an even greener city.

Sadiq Khan said that the plans to create two new woodlands, spanning over 84 hectares will be created in Havering and Enfield, will see nearly 140,000 trees planted. The woodlands will be located in London’s Green Belt, the majority of which is not public open space despite making up 22 per cent of the capital’s land area.

The Mayor has awarded a grant of £748,000 to Enfield Council to restore the formerly wooded Enfield Chase area to create 60 hectares of new publicly accessible woodland. The project will also fund improvements to 3km of walking and cycling routes to improve access for local communities through the newly created woodland.  

The Woodland Trust has also been awarded £493,082 to secure land and extend Hainault Forest in Havering with new tree planting, which will create a new wildlife corridor between the forest and Hainault Country Park. The project will enable year-round public access to a previously private area of green space in an area currently lacking public open space.  

Tree-planting will start in November 2020 and will play a vital role in enhancing London’s green belt.  The announcement marks one year since London became the world’s first National Park City.

Khan, said: “I am proud to be Mayor of the world’s first National Park City – our parks and green spaces are a keystone of the capital. More than ever, London’s green spaces are not only vital to people’s mental and physical well-being, but also to reducing inequality across the city.

“The government this week announced concerning changes to the planning system, showing little regard for the environment. I want today’s announcements to show how we can lead the way kickstarting a green recovery in London, continuing to prioritise the new green spaces that will help deliver huge social and environmental benefits that Londoners deserve.”