Have your say on major regeneration plans for Manton Pit Wood

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Guardian News
WORKSOP residents are invited to an information event about a major £200,000 investment project to rejuvenate Manton Pit Wood and boost its community and wildlife.

The woodland on the former pit site has been closed to the public since 2009 following an increase in anti-social behaviour, vandalism and fears for public health and safety posed by illegally-ridden off-road motorbikes.

Now Notts County Council, who owns and manages the site, is working with a series of partner agencies on a project to restore the land for recreational use - and wants to know what YOU think of the plans.

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The site has been awarded £200,000 from the ERDF, Natural England and the LTP with additional matchfunding from the county council to undertake a significant programme of improvements.

The funding will be used to create a new, safe public car park to encourage more people to visit, restore degraded tracks and trails and create new links to the existing Rights of Way network and Sustrans Route 6.

The Manton pit site was restored in 1997 by the county council, to a mixture of commercial forestry, amenity woodland, open space with full public access.

Notts County Council is encouraging people to come along to the information session from 3.30-7pm on Monday 11th February at the Centre for Sport and Learning off Shrewsbury Road, Manton.

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Children will be well catered for with free activities such as building birdboxes, making bird feeders and facepainting .

Ted Wooddisse, Notts County Council’s land management officer, said: “We are appealing for people who are interested in getting involved in this exciting project to rejuvenate Manton Pit Wood, including woodland conservation, to come along to the information event or get in contact with us.”

“We were forced to close the site three years ago due to escalating vandalism and fears for public health and safety posed by the threat of off-road motorcycles so we are pleased to now have some funding to be able to enhance the site, address the problems and make the site more appealing to visitors.”

He added: “There will be a taster woodland management task on Tuesday 19th February, and if successful, we will add further dates.”

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“This is a great way to learn new skills, make friends and help the environment. Everyone is welcome and no previous experience is necessary as all tools, training and tea and biscuits are provided.”

As part of the works, volunteers will carry out scrub clearance and heathland creation and restoration work to improve environmental conditions for wildlife and biodiversity.

Work on the project will start in February and complete in the summer of 2013. It is hoped that the county council and its stakeholders can work with schools and other interest groups to provide a local resource for the people of Manton and Worksop.

For further information and volunteering contact Gill Grievson at Nottinghamshire County Council on 01623 822944 or 07740 845574 or email [email protected].

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