Medlock Valley tree planting boost

Tree planting on land between Oldham and Tameside has been welcomed by an environmentally conscious local Councillor.

Failsworth West Councillor Pete Davis was delighted to find out that a site in Failsworth was to be included as part of a national initiative to plant more than 40 million trees.

The site, in the Medlock Valley which separates Failsworth from Droylsden, is one of seven across the Borough proposed for tree planting.

Having grown up locally, Councillor Davis is familiar with the Medlock Valley and the area where the new trees will be planted.

He said: “I know this area well.

"It’s not always been a beautiful green space though, and local people of a certain age may remember when it was known as the ‘air dump’ with old decommissioned planes gathered here rusting away.

“I’m glad that this area is down for the planting of more trees.

"With the old planes long gone it will continue the process of nature taking back over this area, attract more wildlife and help the fight against the climate crisis.”

The impact of the climate crisis was brought into sharp focus last week with Greater Manchester being buffeted by heavy rain, causing flooding in many areas.

Research suggests that heavy rainfall will become more frequent due to climate change and the planting of trees can both absorb carbon emissions and slow down the flow of water into rivers, making them less likely to burst their banks.

Oldham Council has set a target for the Borough to be carbon neutral by 2030.

Planting trees is an important part of the Council’s strategy, with thousands having been planted already, including nearby at the Queen Elizabeth II field on Warwick Road.

Trees will also be planted in Oldham Edge, Holts Valley, Glodwick Lows, Diggle Fields, Twingates (Shaw) and the Irk Valley.

The national initiative that has supported these trees is the ‘Local Nature Recovery Strategy’.

The strategy is designed to encourage the protection of native wildlife, of which 54 species are currently at risk.

The tress proposed for planting are mostly native species too.

It is hoped that, subject to coronavirus restrictions, local people will be able to get involved in the planting, scheduled for later in the spring, or at least be involved in the ongoing maintenance over the coming years.

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