Newlands

What is Newlands?
Developed by the Northwest Development Agency and the Forestry Commission, and in partnership with Red Rose Forest, Newlands is a unique £23 million scheme that will reclaim large areas of derelict, underused and neglected land across England’s Northwest and transform them into thriving, durable, community woodlands.

Newlands is about new life and new environments. It will, in the years ahead, deliver new recreational areas, benefits for business, a boost to healthy living and a significant increase in the woodland cover of England’s Northwest.

Where will Newlands happen?
The five-year, first phase of Newlands will cover the Mersey Belt area, targeting sites in Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Salford, Trafford and Wigan in the Red Rose Forest area as well as Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Knowsley, Liverpool, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, Ellesmere Port and Neston, Halton, Vale Royal, and Warrington.

Phase two is under development and, once approved, will extend across the region to include Cumbria, Lancashire and the rest of Cheshire.

Phase one aims to reclaim 435 hectares of brownfield land for community woodland uses in support of regeneration and economic growth.

Once the sites have been identified, a number of other geographically-specific identifiers of concern and opportunity ‘layers’ of mapping are introduced to give each site a public benefit ‘score’ across a range of social, economic and environmental factors and attributes. Some of the social factors include an index of multiple deprivation score, the site’s proximity to schools or whether the land falls within health action zones. Economic factors include nearby employment zones or proximity to transport corridors while environmental criteria included factors such as the proximity to Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) or air quality management zones, etc.

After the sites have been identified, what happens next?
Newlands is not just about ‘good’ woodlands – it’s about ‘exemplar’ community woodlands that offer real economic and social payback. After the priority locations have been selected, those sites will be subject to an Additional Value Assessment (AVA) which assesses each site’s true potential in more depth, again focussing on social, environmental and economic issues, both in the long and short term. Put simply, every site is different and this needs to be reflected through the AIA. Newlands sites will be cleaned up and reclaimed via an integrated and innovative approach to derelict land regeneration. This will ensure that each site realises it’s full potential. Target sites will include a detailed community consultation programme to make sure that any development fully fits the social needs of the area – again, every site presents unique challenges, and unique opportunities.

Who is making Newlands happen?
Newlands is a perfect example of how Government agencies can work together in partnership. The Northwest Development Agency is providing the £23 million for the first phase of Newlands, with the Forestry Commission undertaking programme development and management.

The transformation of the first 435 hectares across Merseyside, Greater Manchester and North Cheshire will be carried out through five key delivery partners, who are: The Red Rose Forest, The Mersey Forest, The Pennine Edge Forest, Groundwork Northwest and Forestry Commission.

Why is Newlands unique and different?
Newlands is the 21st Century face of land regeneration: carefully planned; intelligence-led; delivering widespread public benefits; enhancing the environment; and delivered through partnerships. Newlands will improve the quality of life for millions of people, delivering new open spaces and natural areas for increased community enjoyment, tourism and recreation.

Newlands is about more than trees and people: it will benefit the region economically and will trigger new opportunities for businesses. For instance there are direct links between image and investment, and between derelict land and land and property values. Newlands also delivers against a wide range of policy objectives – beyond the purely environmental - from brownfield land regeneration to health, from business growth to biodiversity.

Newlands: The Facts