The Enfield Chase Woodland Restoration Project will see another 50 hectares of publicly accessible woodland created, extending the green space to 130 hectares and improving accessibility to the east of the borough.
The project will enhance the 80 hectares of woodland and 3.3km of new footpaths that have already been created in previous phases of the project.
It will include natural flood management features, footpaths and signage and will contribute to the Council’s ambition to plant one million trees and create a greener Enfield for everyone to enjoy.
The project will be funded by £500,000 from the Greater London Authority’s Green and Resilient Spaces Fund, with additional funding from the Forestry Commission and other sources.
Importantly, the woodland will help to combat the effects of climate change in Enfield. Trees absorb carbon dioxide which means they can help to stop rising temperatures, keep soil moist and reduce the risk of flooding to homes and the surrounding area.
Enfield Council’s Cabinet Member for Public Spaces, Culture and Local Economy, Cllr Chinelo Anyanwu, said: “This is an exciting new chapter for the woodland restoration project which has seen incredible support from across the borough. More than 2,000 volunteers have taken part in previous planting events and the Friends of Enfield Chase community group are now firmly established.
“By improving access to the east of the borough, we hope to attract a wide range of volunteers, school groups and young people to get involved in planting thousands of trees, and we look forward to welcoming new visitors to enjoy the nature space. We have pledged to provide more publicly accessible, green spaces including woodlands and rewilded river corridors to support the growth of the borough and wellbeing of local people.”
Cllr Rick Jewell, Cabinet Member for Environment, said: “The importance of flood risk management cannot be underestimated. By including ponds and wetland features within the new woodlands, we will reduce the risk of flooding to areas to the east and south of the Turkey Brook and Salmons Brook. The proposals will also contribute to mitigating climate change by offsetting carbon emissions, as supported by the Enfield Climate Action Plan.”
As part of the plans, Enfield Council will be creating new green links that will significantly increase accessibility to the 80 hectares of woodland created so far, improving connectivity to Crews Hill and Gordon Hill stations, Hilly Fields Park, the Lee Valley and beyond.
Enfield Council will again work with volunteers and project partners at Thames21 to help plant shrubs and trees. Sessions are taking place this month and will restart once the winter planting season begins. Information on the opportunities to get involved are available online at Thames21 events.