Restoration of Welbeck

The restoration of Welbeck will be a significant improvement to the local area and provide a valuable asset for the community. It will provide a mixture of woodland, agricultural pasture land and recreational land, with an emphasis on ecological improvement and public access following completion of the site. Without landfilling, it would not have been economically viable to restore 100 hectares of previously derelict land.

The restoration scheme agreed with Wakefield Metropolitan Borough Council will include the planting of more than 100,000 trees and the construction of more than five kilometres of new public footpaths/bridleways. 
 
Restoration is a phased process and those areas closest to housing on the south of the site were the first to be restored with a mixture of shrub planting, grass planting and additional tree planting. 

Once restored, the aim is for the environment created to blend naturally with the surrounding landscape on both sides of the river Calder and complement existing areas of ecological interest.  The footpaths within Welbeck will also link up with existing footpath routes, adding to the wealth of outdoor opportunities in the local area.