‘Historic moment’ as forest plans approved

County Durham is set to become the site of England’s largest contiguous commercial forest in decades, with a 290-hectare forest planned for the Greencroft Estate, in Lanchester. 

True North Real Asset Partners’ Forestry Carbon Sequestration Fund II has received consent from the Forestry Commission to plant 600,000 trees across a site that is roughly equivalent to 185 football pitches.

Greencroft Forest Park will feature a mix of 31 species and 600,000 individual trees, with oak, birch and spruce leading the way. 

Officials say the project will sequester 70,500 tonnes of carbon, improve local biodiversity and help mitigate flooding by reducing river levels by up to 10 per cent. 

They add that the forest will be expected to produce sustainable timber by 2045, while supporting community engagement through educational programmes, nature walks and public access.

Tree planting will begin this winter, with site preparation beginning in the summer.

Harry Humble, chief executive of True North, the largest afforestation investor in the UK, said: “We are delighted that consent has been granted for the Greencroft Forest Park. 

“It is a historic moment for the county.  

“We have invested heavily in understanding the ecology and heritage of the estate and canvassing local opinion.  

“All of this informs the final design that has now been approved.

“We are looking forward to getting the forest planted and delivering something that our neighbours in Lanchester and Annfield Plain can enjoy for decades to come.”

David Leslie, chairman of timber company James Jones & Sons, added: “This is fantastic news for Durham and the North East, which is receiving a unique amount of investment in the primary wood processing sector. 

“New productive forests, such as Greencroft, give confidence to companies like ours and reinforce our decision to locate the UK’s most state-of-the-art sawmill in Durham. 

“With the UK Government now committed to the Timber in Construction roadmap, which makes increasing the sustainable supply of homegrown timber a priority, we hope to see more projects like Greencroft being approved.”

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