New 51-acre woodland for Chapmanslade

A NEW woodland is being created on the former Thoulstone Park Golf Club on the outskirts of Chapmanslade.

James and Alka Hughes-Hallett, are the owners and co-founders of the Thoulstone Park Eco-Sustainable Community Project.

They have recently commenced work to create a new English woodland on the 145-acre site of the former Thoulstone Park Golf Club.

In conjunction with the Woodland Trust and The Forestry Commission the Hughes-Halletts are planting a total of 28,840 mixed English deciduous trees across 51 acres of the site with all planting work scheduled to be finalised by February 2014.

The couple said, “We have an ambition for this site which is very much guided by our ethos of sustainable, eco-friendly living. This first step of planting new English woodland on the site will bring us a step closer to our aim, and it will serve as a haven for wildlife, a source of renewable energy and as an asset for the local community

“We will be having two volunteer planting days over the weekend of Saturday 15th February and Sunday 16th February 2014 and anybody interested in coming along to do some planting can contact us for more details on info@thoulstonepark.co.uk

“Everybody will be welcome.”

Hamish Thomson, woodland creation adviser for the trust said, ”This is a fantastic project and when it’s completed, it will really be an outstanding example of a sustainable community showing how we can incorporate nature and new development, and make them work side by side.

“The new woodland will provide homes and food for wildlife, and will also bring benefits for people including cleaner air and water, and importantly for this development, a source of sustainable fuel.”

James and Alka hope to create on the Thoulstone Park site a mixed-use community founded on tourist and leisure-based commerce and employment, with associated living, set within a high quality bio-diverse rich environment.

For more information please visit www.thoulstonepark.co.uk