Forestry England's £14.5m nursery upgrade for climate-resilient trees
Forestry England is investing £14.5 million to enhance its tree nursery in Cheshire, incorporating a new seed extractory.
This initiative aims to produce high-quality, resilient tree seeds for future decades. Expected to open in spring 2025, this facility will be the UK's largest, processing up to four tonnes of seeds yearly.
Key tree species
Financed mainly by the Defra Nature for Climate Fund, the upgrades will fortify Forestry England's ability to provide genetic material for woodland creation and regeneration. Focusing on key tree species like Douglas fir and Norway spruce, the project will boost UK forestry resilience against climate change.
Additionally, the investment will foster sustainability by reducing seed imports and enhancing diversity in timber species, benefiting the overall forestry sector.
State-of-the-art machinery
Forestry England's new seed extractory will be equipped with state-of-the-art machinery and expanded seed storage, ensuring optimal conditions for seed preservation. The addition of a miniplug growing facility will significantly increase tree production capacity.
Collaborating with contractors like Willmott Dixon and Cambridge HOK, Forestry England strives for sustainable construction practices, aiming for net zero carbon operation.
Michael Poole-Sutherland, north west director at Willmott Dixon, said, “Our experts are prioritising sustainable materials and construction methods. The building will be net zero carbon in operation and built using cross laminated timber (CLT) frame, as a sustainable alternative to steel, concrete and masonry. It will also feature solar PV panels, triple glazing, sustainable drainage solution and benefit from our extensive EnergySynergy performance monitoring process to reduce costs.”
Jason Tether, Project Manager for CambridgeHOK, said, “We have designed and are installing a specialist conveyor system which will allow the heavy containers of growing trees to be moved seamlessly between different zones during the growing cycle.”
These developments are set to enhance the country's forestry landscape, emphasizing environmental sustainability and long-term forest health.