What is a Community Forest?

Created over the last 30 years England’s Community Forests are located in and around some of the nation’s largest towns and cities.

Each is a collaboration between councils and local, regional and national organisations, who work to enact a government-approved 30-year vision for landscape improvement known as a forest plan.

Currently there are 13 Community Forests, of which the North East Community Forest is the second to have been announced in 2021.

Collectively, the work of the Forests has formed the largest environmental regeneration initiative in England, delivering urban, economic and social renewal, championing green infrastructure and creating high-quality environments for millions of people.

By planting trees and bringing woodlands back into use for both people and wildlife it provides new opportunities for leisure, recreation, and cultural activities, enhancing biodiversity, helping us become more resilient to climate change and improving education and healthy lives.

The impact of this work is colossal. The Community Forests have created healthy, liveable and economically rewarding places and through innovation and a long-term commitment to the areas where they work, have empowered communities to transform their local landscapes.

Together they helped to ensure that trees and woodlands are at the very heart of what it is to be an urban landscape today.

More information about the initiative can be found on the England's Community Forests website.