The York Council concludes its consultation, on the layout of the new forest planned for agricultural land near Knapton, on 19th May.

The plans continue to be semi detached from economic realities with the options being presented to residents lacking proper costings or identified sources of funding.

A report published in December 2020 (click) promised that funding streams would be identified before commitments were made. Such information as is available is apparently being presented only to “behind closed doors” project board meetings.

Added to the initial failure to produce a food production vs afforestation environmental appraisal, this is an unsatisfactory situation

Residents are still waiting to hear an updates on a promised second – urban – wood that the Council announced 18 months ago.

It was said to be located near to the inner ring road. Such a site would be hugely expensive although the Council has, very recently, agreed to purchase land between the railway line and the river in the Leeman Road area.

Hopes that community woodland would be provided on land located between the built up area and the ring road/A1237, seem to be fading.

This would have provided genuinely accessible local green space – the lack of which in some areas became very apparent during the recent lockdown.

Some tree planting, as part of the dualling of part of the A1237, has been promised.