Dotted in and around Shrewsbury are sites earmarked for great changes. Are these where the next supermarket, housing development or leisure complex will be sited? Do the planners know about these all consuming changes and, if they don't, what will they do about them to protect the countryside and open spaces when they do? Sinister stuff, until you know that these sites are earmarked for tree planting as Community Woodlands, enhancing and improving the existing and occasionally new open space in and around Shrewsbury. They will provide new wildlife habitat where there is little now, and places for enjoyable, informal recreation for the people that live nearby.

The simple aim is: "To develop community woodlands which will create a better environment for people to use, cherish and enjoy." Obviously this does not mean just planting trees, we've all seen the evidence of lollipop trees appearing somewhere, dying and getting vandalised. It means the planting of new woodland, copses, hedges and occasionally individual trees by people, because they want to help make a difference to their environment. This has lead to the starting of a new National Forest network with major plans around some of Britain's cities. But plans don't have to be that grand. Closer to home, Community Woodlands can have all of these benefits in a local way around Shrewsbury.

There are ten sites where planting has been completed. Hopefully other possible areas will be identified:

The ten woodlands have a combined total area of 22 hectares (54 acres) - a large area and approx 20,000 trees and shrubs!

To celebrate the advent of the new Millennium the Meole Brace Community Woodland, to the rear of Moneybrook Way, is a special partnership project in conjunction with the Shropshire group of the National Council for the Conservation of Plants and Gardens. In the late winter of 1999 a willow coppice was planted over about one acre of the field on the south eastern bank of the Rea Brook. The planting consists of about 20 different willow species and hybrids which are native to Shropshire.

All other areas are being planted with mixed native broad-leaved trees and shrubs. These are primarily oak and ash, but with smaller numbers of: alder, aspen, blackthorn, crab apple, elder, field maple, goat willow, guelder rose, hawthorn, hazel, holly, silver birch, small-leaved lime, and wild cherry. We are also planting very occasional native black poplar and yew trees. All of these trees and shrubs are native to this part of Shropshire. These are all planted as small 2ft transplants to make planting them easy and these also have the best chance of successful establishment. The intention is to recreate the type of mixed broad-leaved woodland which would have existed before it was cleared by early farming settlers in Britain, probably a few thousand years ago.

        Telephone 01743 359199                    E-Mail countryside@shrewsbury.gov.uk