Pwllheli press release

A disused car park will be transformed into a new community woodland through a new partnership between Transport for Wales and Pwllheli Town Council.

Within the nature reserve in the centre of Pwllheli, there is a disused car park that is about half an acre in size. This project will allow the council to remove the car park and replace it with a woodland, enhancing the local area and improving biodiversity and wellbeing opportunities in the area.

Eric Price, Town Clerk said: “Pwllheli Town Council is looking forward to working with Transport for Wales on this project. It will have a positive environmental impact on the area and will aid in increasing biodiversity. The project will aim to increase volunteering and, through this, learning about nature and its benefits to well-being. Nature, the environment and learning new skills can bring people together. It will increase confidence and pride in the community.”

Leyton Powell, Director for Safety and Sustainability for TfW, said: “The Coed Cymunedol project will help make woodlands more accessible and more resilient, supporting the health and well-being of communities and providing areas for increased wildlife biodiversity and connectivity. Projects like this are important to us at TfW, creating a more connected network means more than better transport options. By working closely with our communities, we can ensure that we’re building a network that Wales needs, deserves, and is fit for future generations.”

TfW and 11 community partners across Wales have been awarded £100,000 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund Community Woodlands Scheme. The projects funded by this grant scheme will help to inform the Welsh Government’s thinking on the long-term development of the National Forest in Wales (NfW).

The nine-month project is a collaboration with organisations across Wales, made up of local councils, social enterprises and woodland and community charities. Together we’ll create new woodland sites and improve and enhance existing woodlands in nine areas across Wales.

The project is part of TfW’s wider programme of Coed Cymunedol, funded by the Community Woodlands scheme. It is being delivered by The National Lottery Heritage Fund in partnership with the Welsh Government