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in Brief
Work starts on Bury woodland scheme
Winter overhaul
£3.8m initiative to include 7.5 miles of leisure trails for cyclists and walkers
for Ashton Locks
Ashton Canal in Manchester is By Pete Hayman
to benefit from a £60,000
programme of essential works by A new 71-hectare (175-acre)
British Waterways (BW). The community woodland is set to
maintenance, part of BW's winter be created in Bury, Greater
programme of network Manchester, as part of a £3.8m
improvements, will include the regeneration scheme incorpo-
replacement of three sets of head rating the town's Waterdale
gates along the canal at locks and Drinkwater parks.
10,11 and 12, as well general The Forestry Commission has
grouting repairs to the locks. started work on a former
industrial site between
Phase two Preston
Prestwich and Clifton to
parks scheme underway
improve the local environment The scheme incorporates the Waterdale and Drinkwater parks
Work has got underway on the and create a number of new
second phase of a scheme to recreational facilities, including track, the illumination of a Salford, Manchester and Bury,
restore Avenham and Miller Parks 12km (7.5 miles) of leisure trails. viaduct running through the is being contributed to by the
in Preston to original 1860s Work on multi-purpose site and the introduction of Newlands initiative – a £59m
designs drawn up by landscape waymarked trails, which will be information signs outlining land regeneration scheme.
architect Edward Milner. Nearly used by walkers, horse riders the area's history are also The Forestry Commission's
500 new trees will be planted and and cyclists, is set to get set to feature as part of the Richard Topley said: "There will
73 diseased trees will be removed underway next month, while community woodland. be plenty of opportunities for
as part of the project, while an plans also include wetland Funding for the woodland, everyone to enjoy the outdoors,
additional 19 trees will also be wildlife habitats and fishing which will form part of a major whether it's cycling, running,
removed in order to fit in with ponds. A new mountain bike community woodland across fishing or horse-riding."
the designs for the new-look
parks. The second stage of the
scheme, which has received a
Green light for Heartwood Forest initiative
£1.75m grant from the Heritage
Lottery Fund, is set to be By Pete Hayman
completed in November 2010.
Planting is set to get underway
Bathing water quality
on the creation of a new
results unveiled
347-hectare (858-acre) native
Nearly all bathing waters woodland near St Albans,
around the English and Welsh Hertfordshire, after the scheme
coast adhere to the European was given the go ahead by the
Commission's (EC) mandatory Forestry Commission.
standards for 2009, according to The commission has
new results published by the approved an environment
government. Statistics from the statement submitted earlier
Department for Environment, this year by the Woodland
Food and Rural Affairs and the Trust, which will see more than The Woodland Trust hopes to create a hub for leisure pursuits
Welsh Assembly revealed more 600,000 native broadleaf trees
than 98 per cent of waters passed planted as part of the Heart- for active recreation and edges lessening the impact
water quality tests, while 82.2 wood Forest scheme. leisure pursuits. from roads and human activity.
per cent met the stricter EC Heartwood Forest will be Toby Bancroft, Heartwood "Our environment statement
guideline standard. The the largest site in England project manager, said: "We consent by the Forestry
Environment Agency conducted a operated by the Woodland propose to retain views at key Commission was a culmination
total of 29,700 water quality Trust, providing publicly points, with most planting of comments, opinions and
tests at nearly 500 bathing accessible green space for scheduled for the main ridge consideration of issues, raised
waters during 2009, while new more than 250,000 people and site plateau, creating a with the local population and
technology is to be used to help living within a 10km (6.2-mile) wood pasture effect on lower a wide range of organisations
discover the source of pollution. radius, as well as a hub slopes and graded woodland to help shape proposals."
16 Read Leisure Opportunities online www.leisureopportunities.com/digital © Cybertrek 2009
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