Community woodland management at Plumpton Clough

We worked with an active community group who purchased a small woodland in Oldham.

Plumpton Clough in Oldham is around 2.62 hectares in size and comprises of grassland and a small woodland leading down the the River Irk. The site acts as a corridor of green space between the busy motorway and local residents. 

It's also an important local site for biodiversity, and is home to a number of birds, insects and animals, as well as Oak, silver birch, beech, pine and ash trees. 

In 2014, a group of passionate residents came together to purchase the land from Oldham Council in order to secure its long-term future.

The residents formed ‘Plumpton Clough Ltd’ - a company owned by its shareholders, in this case around 80 residents or previous residents that invested from £10 to several thousand pounds.

The City of Trees team worked with the company to help them realise their ambitions and hopes for the land, putting a Woodland Management plan together to ensure it would remain looked after in the long term - especially by future generations. 

As part of the plan, an event was held, bringing the community together to take action on the site and help them increase a sense of local ownership.