• Swindon & Wiltshire Economy
• Friday March 21 2025
• Author Name: Peter Davison

Western Forest plan will create jobs and boost green economy from Bristol to Swindon

A new national forest stretching from the Cotswolds to the Mendips is set to be created, the government has announced today (Friday 21 March).

Twenty million trees are to be planted across Bristol, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Somerset by 2050 creating at least 2,500 hectares of new woodland called The Western Forest.

It will be the first national forest to be established in 30 years. Seventy per cent of the forest will be established on agricultural land, and Defra is ploughing £7.5 million into the project.

The forest – one of just three projects in the UK selected by the government for approval – will serve over 2.5 million residents, bringing trees and woodlands closer to where people live, including in urban centres such as Bristol, Gloucester and Swindon.

The Western Forest will be spearheaded by the Forest of Avon, one of England’s Community Forests supported by up to £7.5 million of government funding over five years alongside accelerating tree-planting in local areas.

The project will work to revitalise existing woodlands and other important habitats to create a forest network for people and wildlife at a truly landscape scale.

The government says the new national forest will help the drive to net zero while promoting economic growth and creating jobs in Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and across the West of England, as part of the Government’s Plan for Change.

It will also the UK meet its nature and legal environment targets including halting the decline of species and protecting 30 per cent of land for nature by 2030.

The government’s nature minister, Mary Creagh, said: “The Government was elected on a mandate to plant three new national forests this parliament, as part of our commitment to reach net zero and drive sustainable growth under the Government’s Plan for Change.

“We will plant 20 million trees in the Western Forest to bring nature closer to people, prevent flooding and support wildlife.”

Alex Stone, chief executive of the Forest of Avon Trust, said: “The Forest of Avon is thrilled to have led a wonderfully diverse and engaged partnership to bring the Western Forest to life.

“This is about resource, funding and expertise coming directly to landowners, partners and communities, planting millions of trees in the right places. Together, we will enhance landscapes for all to enjoy, improving the lives of our 2.5 million residents and visitors to the region.

“Encompassing two of England’s Community Forests and working alongside the National Forest Company and Defra, the Western Forest will enhance, connect and improve our urban and rural landscapes, support investment into the region, create jobs and skills opportunities and bring the endless benefits we get back from planting and caring for our trees.

“It is a very exciting time for this region, and we look forward to helping shape what the Western Forest will become.”

West of England metro mayor, who launched the West of England Tree and Woodland Strategy at the beginning of his tenure, said: “Back in 2021, I launched our region’s tree strategy. Since then, just through my Green Recovery Fund, we have planted 35,000 trees.

“But now we’re really picking up the pace – this new forest will be 3,000 football pitches big.

“I am so pleased that our region will be home to this brand-new National Forest, thanks to major investment from the Labour government.

“I’m extremely proud that the West of England and our wider region were chosen to be the home of the very first new National Forest in 30 years.

“We beat off very stiff competition because of our impressive record of success in planting trees locally, our excellent partnership working, and the huge scale of our ambition.

“This is a massive vote of confidence in the West and puts us at the forefront of a greener, more sustainable future.

“The Western Forest will not only provide homes for our local wildlife but also places of solace, adventure, and inspiration for people from across the West of England and beyond, now, and just as importantly, for the generations to come.”

Pictured: Mary Creagh with Forest of Avon Trust CEO Alex Stone and Jo Lewis, CEO of Wiltshire Wildlife Trust