A ribbon at the entrance to the new 193-acre woodland was ceremonially snipped by the Lord Mayor of York Cllr Margaret Wells and Chair of Forestry England Sir William Worsley this morning, marking the moment it opened.
Over the past five years, 210,000 young trees and shrubs have been planted on the site, which stretches all the way from North Field Lane near Knapton to Harewood Whin.
So far, the trees are still just tiny saplings.
But many are already sprouting fresh young leaves – and a network of footpaths already winds through the planted areas.
Forestry England experts say there are already two resident barn owls on the site, while kestrels, sparrowhawks, buzzards and even two red kites have been seen here.
To make the woodland easily accessible, a new car park has been created, which can be reached via North Field Lane just off the A59 near the Poppleton Bar Park & Ride.
The site is also readily accessible by bike, or from the footpath leading from Knapton to Rufforth.
Declaring the woodland officially open, Cllr Wells recalled the days when she used to play hide and seek in the small wood near her grandparents’ home off Carr Lane in Acomb.
Children used to pick up beech nuts there, she said. “And I remember… the joy of finding a whole hoard of bright shiny conkers, and of seeing how many times you could make sycamore seeds spin like helicopters before they landed.”
Since then, she said, the number of trees in the UK had reduced to the point where we now had one of the lowest levels of tree cover in Europe.
But woodlands are our breathing spaces, she said. “And as this woodland matures, it will be a breathing space that we can all enjoy.”
Planning for the woodland began in 2019, under the previous Lib Dem administration.
It has been created on land owned by City of York Council and will be managed by Forestry England, at no extra cost to the people of York.
So far no fewer than 26 species of native young trees have been planted – including oak, cherry, crab-apple, rowan, sycamore, alder, willow and many more.
Many of the young trees were planted by local volunteers. Others were planted by experts from Forestry England.
Ultimately, as it matures, the new woodland will provide miles of walking paths winding through the trees and open spaces.
Cllr Jenny Kent, City of York Council’s Executive Member for Environment and Climate Emergency, said the official opening of the woodland was a ‘real cause for celebration’.
“Over 210,000 new trees have been planted, one for each resident of York, to create a wonderful space for nature and people alike, and help mitigate against some of our City’s carbon emissions,” she said. “It was planned by the people of York, for the people of York.”
Cllr Paula Widdowson, who was the Lib Dem executive member for the environment when the woodland project began, said she was thrilled to see it opened to the public.
“It’s absolutely fantastic,” she told The Press. “There are 78 hectares (193 acres) for people to come and enjoy. It’s got horse trails, it’s got bike rails. The biodiversity of this place is phenomenal.
“It’s brilliant, and it will continue to be brilliant. This side of York doesn’t have as much green space as the other side of york. So this is a real opportunity for the residents who live in Acomb and this side of york. Do come and use it!”
The new woodland, a collaboration between City of York Council and the White Rose Forest, is a key component of Forestry England’s ambitious goal to plant at least 5,000 acres of new woodland across the country by 2026.
The forest initiative is supported by an investment of over £500 million from the Nature for Climate Fund.
Forestry England’s Gareth Parry said: “I’m delighted to see this project come to life, knowing it will serve as a thriving natural sanctuary and a vital resource for generations to come.”
