Waingap Wood - Whitworth

Community Design was involved in two design stages associated with this project: consultation and detailed design. The basic idea for this project was to transform a redundant, barren field into a community woodland with trim trail and year-round access. An initial consultation plan was produced which set out some broad ideas for what the scheme could offer. This was presented to local people in February 2005.

Comments that were received on the consultation day were used to help determine the final layout of the site, the route ways within it and the location of the main planting areas. The detailed design was used to produce a cost estimate for the entire job, and this was presented to a number of different funding bodies. Because they were professionally produced and based on a local consultation event funding for the project was quickly secured. The working drawings were modified very slightly as time progressed to adapt to a few local conditions.

The project started with the landowners, Whitworth Town Council. However it would not have been as successful if it had not been for a partnership of organisations working together to ensure the project was implemented. Groundwork Rossendale were especially active, providing all the design work and supplying the Environmental Task Force who did much of the physical work including, new paths, planting, walling, fencing and new access gates.

The early concept design was very helpful in the early stages of this project as it helped local people understand the scale of the project and to appreciate all the different elements of the scheme. Because the plan was clear and understandable there were very few negative comments at the consultation and only minor changes had to be made to the final plan.

The total cost of this project, which has seen a trim trail installed, 400m of new path created, 30m of board walk and 6000 trees planted was £67,000 which was awarded by Lancashire County Council, the Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund, Lancashire Small Sites Reclamation Programme, Whitworth Town Council, the East Lancashire Woodland Project and the Forestry Commission.

• To see a detailed version of the plan (224 kb) click here or on plan image above