Forest to transform urban wasteland
14 May 2010
A large swathe of post-industrial north Manchester could be transformed into a wooded haven for wildlife and local people under proposals to turn a former landfill site into a community woodland.
The Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWRDA) has promised £4.9 million in funding to back plans to develop Moston Brook, which runs through 71 hectares (175 acres) of north Manchester and Oldham.
In recent times the area has become neglected and a magnet for antisocial behaviour. Under the new proposals, however, it would be planted with native broadleaved woodland and open areas turned into wildflower meadows and wetlands, creating a 'green artery' through Manchester's industrial heartland. The project is part of the wider Newlands scheme, a £59m initiative from the NWRDA and the Forestry Commission reclaiming large areas of derelict land across the north-west of England.
www.newlandsproject.co.uk
Picture: On the bank of Moston Brook at the proposed site for Greater Manchester’s forest in the city is Richard Tracey, NWDA Head of Environmental Quality, Keith Jones, Regional Director of the Forestry Commission, Manchester City Council Leader, Sir Richard Leese and Cllr Howard Syles, Leader of Oldham Council.