Warminster has been included in a priority area in the creation of a major new national forest, the first of its kind in 30 years.
The Western Forest will see over 20 million trees planted across the west of England with over 6,000 acres of new woodland across Wiltshire, Somerset, Gloucestershire, the Cotswolds and the Mendips. One of five priority areas will cover western Wiltshire, running from north of Chippenham to south of Warminster (see map).
“We’re absolutely delighted that western Wiltshire – and Warminster in particular – will be part of this landmark initiative,” said local campaign group Sustainable Warminster. “Planting millions of trees across our region is a vital step in tackling climate change and restoring biodiversity. We’re excited to see how the scheme develops and how we as a group and the Warminster community can play a part.”
Spearheaded by the Forest of Avon, one of England’s Community Forests, and supported by £7.5million of government funding, the Western Forest is the result of a successful regional partnership with contributions from more than 40 organisations including the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust.
Safia Gilder-Hodgson, partnerships manager at the Forest of Avon Trust, said work on the forest would begin this year, with tree planting starting as early as December 2025.
“We’re really excited to get started and create something big and bold for nature – a new accessible community forest of the future,” she said. “We hope to work with the local community – groups, volunteers, schools, businesses, landowners, and the Wildlife Trust – to deliver something amazing.”
Local ecologist Iain Perkins, a committee member with Sustainable Warminster, added, “Great idea although it shouldn’t be at the expense of any of our rare habitats like chalk/limestone grasslands, and flower rich meadows etc.; sometimes it seems that the easiest options is trees and bees (honey bees) all of which can play a part in helping climate change and our biodiversity crisis but we must consider a more holistic approach in enhancing what we have making ‘bigger, better and more joined up’.”
Parvis Khansari, Wiltshire Council corporate director for place, said, “We are pleased to be a partner with the winning Western Forest bid and will work closely with the newly-formed Western Forest Team along with other partners to ensure that the right trees are planted in the right place for the right reasons.
“Whilst there are currently no detailed plans regarding locations for tree planting proposals under this new initiative, where appropriate, tree planting will be considered in towns such as Warminster.”
For more information about the Western Forest or to get involved in local initiatives, visit the Forest of Avon Trust website – https://forestofavon.org/western-forest/.
