CASE STUDIES
RESTORATION OF DERELICT LAND - MAKING DERELICT BROWNFIELD GREENCONVERTING WASTELAND TO WOODLAND TO REVITALISE URBAN AND POST-INDUSTRIAL AREAS
Restoration of Derelict Land (pdf document)
Excellent opportunities for the establishment of woodland are presented by a
stock of derelict land. It is widely acknowledged that the establishment and
development of Community Forests has made an important contribution to the
regeneration of brownfield land, encouraging urban renaissance and regional
investment. Nowhere is this impact more apparent than in the north west region
of England.
The Mersey Forest Brownfield Research Project assessed the feasibility of
utilising closed landfill sites and contaminated brownfield land to establish
lowland (mainly) broadleaved woodlands. Extensive field trials were established
which encompassed a wide range of species and cultivars. Fifty experimental
plots were established in the Mersey Forest and Red Rose Forest areas of
Merseyside and Greater Manchester. The performance of planted woodlands has been
monitored over a period of six years. Survival and growth of trees was good at 7
of 11 planted closed landfill sites. On contaminated brownfield sites,
establishment and growth of short-rotation coppice cultivars of Salix and Poplar
was excellent. Generally relatively high biomass yields were achieved after
three years.
Selected results are described in the
Restoration of Derelict Land (pdf document).
The prospects for the development of Community Forestry on derelict brownfield
sites are good.
