13 October 2021 – The 160 hectares of new woodland planted at Broughton Sanctuary during 2020/21 is the first part of an ambitious rewilding and natural regeneration project on this historic estate near Skipton in North Yorkshire.
England’s largest tree planting scheme this year
The project is designed to:
- Help reduce flood risk for communities further down the River Aire catchment, including Leeds city centre
- Work alongside natural regeneration to increase biodiversity and wildlife
- Capture CO2 and contribute to the Government’s target to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050
Summary of the project
160 hectares of new woodland were planted at Broughton Sanctuary during the 2020-21 planting season, the largest new tree planting scheme in England this year.
The new woodland also forms part of the White Rose Forest’s Landscapes for Water planting programme that aims to reduce flood risk for urban areas situated close to major rivers and waterways in North and West Yorkshire, whilst also improving local water quality, biodiversity and recreation opportunities for local communities.
By slowing the flow of water runoff into local rivers, the trees planted at Broughton Sanctuary will help protect communities in the River Aire valley, from Skipton down to Leeds City Centre, from the risk of future damaging flooding events. The project is therefore also strategically important within the Leeds Flood Alleviation Scheme led by the Environment Agency and Leeds City Council.
For Broughton Sanctuary, the tree planting marks the beginning of an ambitious nature recovery programme that will transform a third of this 1200-hectare estate to a much wilder state and increase biodiversity and wildlife.
Project impact
Natural flood management and water quality:
Designed, alongside other natural flood management interventions on the Broughton Hall Estate, to help reduce flood risk for communities further along the River Aire catchment.
Enhancing wildlife:
The wider nature recovery programme at Broughton Sanctuary will increase biodiversity and wildlife and include the natural regeneration of trees, scrub and grasslands, the creation and restoration of wetland habitats and sensitive woodland management.
Contribution to Net Zero:
Large scale tree planting that will capture carbon and help deliver against the Government’s commitment to achieve net zero carbon emissions in the UK by 2050.