According to the Forestry Commission, riders in the North West could be finding that previously derelict areas of wasteland are miraculously turning into woodland thanks to the financial support of the North West Development Agency (NWDA).

The NWDA is set to add £1.5 million of funding for the region’s community woodlands – an initiative that is seeing areas of contaminated, derelict and underused land turned into attractive woodland for local people to enjoy.

The extra cash comes on top of a £9 million grant that the area recently received from the Government’s Capital Modernisation Fund (CMF). This money is already being put to good use, creating recreation and conservation facilities in the Mersey and Red Rose Forests.

Speaking of the motivation behind the scheme, Martin Reynolds, senior development manager of the NWDA, said: “England’s North West has many areas of natural beauty, but unfortunately it has one of the lowest percentages of tree cover in Europe.”

“This investment by the NWDA and the good progress we are making with our Land Reclamation Programme will help to address this important issue. One of the Agency’s priorities is to create a sustainable environment which will last for future generations and this project will help us to achieve that goal.”

Let’s hope so.