Hole Farm – Your future local woodland
A new Community Woodland is planned at Hole Farm, in Great Warley near Brentwood, Essex
Hole Farm will be a 95 hectare site sitting alongside the M25 at the northern end of the proposed Lower Thames Crossing. It will provide a green space for everyone to enjoy – as well as offering a home to local wildlife.
Proposed design
Forestry England will manage Hole Farm Community Woodland on our behalf, and recently submitted a planning application for the site. The application covers the buildings and facilities needed to welcome visitors to the woodland including a visitor shelter, community room, modular café with toilets and a car park.
We talked to local people about what they wanted at their new woodland, and that helped us shape the design.
The application has now been posted on Brentwood Borough Council’s planning portal and is available for everyone to read and comment on.
Facilities could include:
- Visitor shelter
- Community room
- Modular café
- Toilets
- Car park
While the whole site will be a community woodland, it will also serve other purposes for the Lower Thames Crossing. Planting on some of the site will provide compensation for the loss of ancient woodland and replacement public open space for Folkes Lane Woodland.
About Forestry England
Forestry England manage the nation’s forests. For over 100 years, Forestry England have been growing, shaping and caring for over 1,500 of our nation’s forests for the benefit and enjoyment of all, for this generation and the next. They have built walking, running and cycling trails, supplied England’s largest amount of sustainably-sourced timber, and conserved the habitats of thousands of plants and animals. Forests improve the health and wellbeing of everyone and, with careful planning and expert management, our forests will continue to thrive. They help to offset carbon emissions, restore eco-systems and provide people of all ages and abilities with fresh air and spaces to enjoy. Forestry England are always thinking beyond today, planning and planting forests that will help create a sustainable future.
First trees already growing
We planted the first trees at Hole Farm last year, with help from the local community. They are establishing well, and we will plant more this winter – look out for further updates on how you can get involved.
