27 Jun 2022

Nine areas across Wales are set to benefit from £100,000 of funding to enhance nature at new and existing woodlands.

Transport for Wales (TfW) is collaborating with communities and partners on the Coed Cymunedol (Community Woodlands) project supporting the creation, enhancement and management of new and existing woodlands in Wales.

TfW and 11 community partners across Wales have been awarded £100,000 from the Welsh Government and National Lottery Heritage Fund’s Community Woodlands Scheme. The projects funded by this grant scheme will help to inform the Welsh Government’s thinking on the long-term development of the National Forest for Wales (NfW).

The nine-month project is a collaboration with organisations across Wales, made up of local councils, social enterprises and woodland and community charities.  Together we’ll create new woodland sites and improve and enhance existing woodlands in nine areas across Wales.

New trees will focus on a native mix of species and will be planted in new areas within and alongside established woodlands, to improve connectivity and woodland health. Maintenance will include path restoration and creation, improved accessibility, and the introduction of way-markers, fencing and signage. Open access community events will also be held.

Schemes include a new urban woodland walkway connecting one of our railway stations to a nearby existing woodland, and a new nature reserve created on a disused car park.

Along with creating spaces for leisure and nature, the woodlands will help to enhance biodiversity and improve the well–being of our communities.

Leyton Powell, Director for Safety and Sustainability for Transport for Wales, said: “The Coed Cymunedol project will help make woodlands more accessible and more resilient, supporting the health and well-being of communities and providing areas for increased wildlife biodiversity and connectivity. Projects like this are important to us at TfW, creating a more connected network means more than better transport options. By working closely with our communities, we can ensure that we’re building a network that Wales needs, deserves, and is fit for future generations.”

The project will begin in June 2022, with works happening throughout the rest of 2022. Collaborating with partners, TfW aims to embed sustainability into the transport network, making public transport more connected to the communities we serve and creating better experiences for our passengers, communities and visitors in Wales and the borders.

This project is funded by the Community Woodlands scheme, delivered by The National Lottery Heritage Fund in partnership with the Welsh Government.