Greencroft Forest Park in County Durham is being transformed, with tree planting due to start in mid to late October. They will plant 600,000 new trees, turning the area into England’s largest commercial forest in 40 years. This comes after the Forestry Commission granted consent to the investment firm True North in early 2025, but Lanchester Properties opened up a legal battle over whether the full Environmental Impact Assessment had been carried out extensively.
In July 2026, the High Court dismissed the legal challenge against the Forestry Commission and planning could get underway again. So now, planting the 31 species of trees is a ten man team with aims to plant 16,000 saplings a day by hand. This huge number would see the project completed by Christmas, quicker than many of us can do our Christmas presents shop.
It will see 70,500 tonnes of carbon being captured from the atmosphere in its first 100 years...
This project aims to bring about major environmental and ecological benefits. It will see 70,500 tonnes of carbon being captured from the atmosphere in its first 100 years and biodiversity will benefit from the new habitats for the wildlife. Many different types of tree will be planted to help contribute to a complex ecosystem, bringing nature back into a world that does not necessarily put it at the forefront. Within the mix of trees, they are planting commercial timber species like conifers that are grown directly for trade and economic purposes, helping to bring economic benefits to the region, with a predicted 110,000 tonnes of sustainably grown timber produced by 2046.
The chief executive of True North, Harry Humble, stated that, “We are excited to finally get trees into the ground and create a forest that local people can enjoy for decades to come.”
This new forest will undoubtedly be beneficial for the area, bringing together the community as schools help plant and care for the woodland.
This new forest will undoubtedly be beneficial for the area, bringing together the community as schools help plant and care for the woodland. As well as providing a space where nature can flourish and humanity can economically gain from. The scheme looks to use local labour, with tree stock sourced from local markets like Trees Please at Corbridge. The local area is also prone to flooding, but the woodland aims to reduce this, with the trees evaporating more water and more permeable soil absorbing more rainwater.
So, with this new forest project already underway in County Durham, the region seems to be taking the first steps towards helping to build a better, greener, future where humanity and nature can go hand in hand instead of being torn apart.