Enhancing Knowsley's community woodlands

Knowsley Council has worked closely with The Mersey Forest during 2009 to improve the management of the 44 community woodlands that are owned by the Council and form part of Knowsley's network of public open spaces. These woodlands total over 200 hectares of land, but in recent times, had fallen into neglect and disrepair.

Woodland Management Plans have now been developed for all of our 44 woodland sites. These outline a 10 year programme of management activity that will be delivered to transform our community woodlands into high quality public open spaces and healthy natural environments supporting a greater diversity of wildlife. These plans were completed in July 2009 and the first year of work has been delivered during the following autumn and winter.

Woodland management activity has included coppicing, rhododendron and other invasive species clearance, path maintenance and tree planting (See National Tree Week article). However, perhaps the most significant works that have been carried out are tree thinning out of woodlands. This is because many of our woodland sites were planted around 20 years ago and are now in great need of thinning out trees which were previously densely planted to aid establishment.

Significant work has been delivered in sites such as Spring Wood, Ten Acre Pits & Rabbit Wood (Huyton), Court Farm Wood (Halewood), Little Wood & Flukers Brook Wood (Stockbridge Village). Other woodlands will be targeted next year for woodland management works within the borough.

It is Knowsley Council's intention that our woodland management work will reach national Woodland Certification Standards in 2010 to signify our commitment to the effective management of Knowsley's Community Woodlands.

For more information on Knowsley Council's work on woodland management, please contact Philip Hurst, Green Space Development Officer, on 0151 443 2482 or at philip.hurst@knowsley.gov.uk.