Eco-communities or ‘forest towns’ are set to be built in the UK between the university cities of Oxford and Cambridge – all contained within the borders of a new national forest.
The move is part of a government pledge to plant millions of trees in order to create green spaces, promote job creation and battle climate change.
Britain’s chancellor, Rachel Reeves, announced investment into the ‘Ox-Cam corridor forest towns’ saying the urban areas – linked by a new rail network – would create ‘Europe’s Silicon Valley’ adding up to £78bn (AED373bn) to the national economy by 2035.
Nature minister Mary Creagh explained: ‘A previous Labour government had this great vision of garden cities post World War Two and given our promises on tree planting, we thought, how can we create these forest cities which basically bring nature closer to people, green jobs closer to these new communities and help us tackle climate change?
Creagh added that this announcement would be part of Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Cop30 offering saying: ‘The prime minister is attending the world leaders’ Cop meeting, this is a forest Cop in the Amazon and we are showing as a country we are stepping up.’
The homes in the Oxford-Cambridge corridor would be a 10-minute walk from the nearest area of forest, Creagh said: ‘It’s about creating places and spaces where generations of people are going to build a home, make their families, they’re lovely for people to live in and where nature can thrive.’
Another national forest will be planted in the north of England, with a competition to decide the location to be launched early next year, as part of a commitment to allocate more than £1bn this parliament to tree planting and support to the forestry sector.
In March, the government announced the Western Forest, which was the first new national forest in three decades and is planned to stretch from the Cotswolds to the Mendips, as part of the overall project supporting nature recovery, green jobs, and net zero goals.
Britain’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said that planting trees creates growth because meeting tree planting targets could result in over 14,000 new jobs.
Defra also said it will explore a woodland carbon purchase fund, offering upfront payments to landowners to plant carbon-rich woodlands.
Environment Secretary, Emma Reynolds, said: ‘Our woodlands are vital for regulating our climate, supporting wildlife, and increasing access to nature for us all.’
