THE former Kinneil colliery site in Bo’ness is to receive a £150,000 ‘green’ facelift to improve the appearance and access for local residents and enhance the wildlife in the area.
Central Scotland Forest Trust (CSFT) has been commissioned to manage the project which will be delivered over a five year period. Work started today (August 20) and the first phase of work will last for around eight weeks.
Funding for the project has been provided from the Forestry Commission Scotland’s “Woodlands In and Around Towns” scheme, Scottish National Heritage, Falkirk Council and Falkirk Environmental Trust.
The programme of improvements being carried out by CSFT includes thinning the woods to allow space for maturing trees to develop properly, installing two access gates and upgrading footpaths. The re-vamp will also protect the area’s wildlife and improve the habitat for the animals that currently inhabit the site.
Simon Rennie, Chief Executive of CSFT, said he was looking forward to the challenge of upgrading the Kinneil woodland area.
He said: “There is great potential in this site and we are keen to get stuck into the project. Over the next five years we hope to create a recreational area of which the local community can be proud.
“There are many forms of wildlife we want to preserve and protect. Kinneil is currently home to bats, owls, deer, butterflies and a range of plants and trees, so there is plenty for people to see when they come down to the woods.
“The plans will transform the woodland and grass areas and create a scenic green site which we hope will attract visitors to the area.”
Bo’ness Councillor Adrian Mahoney, Falkirk Council’s convener of environment and heritage, welcomed the improvements.
He said: “The foreshore at Kinneil is well used by local people, so it’s good to see this work going ahead. The project will thin out some of the trees on the old colliery site and the peninsula area, north of the Bo’ness and Kinneil Railway.
“Central Scotland Forest Trust will also upgrade footpaths, install signs and clear up litter from the area. This should make a big improvement to the foreshore area.”
For more information on Central Scotland Forest Trust, please visit the website at http://www.csft.co.uk
Issued by The BIG Partnership on behalf of Central Scotland Forest Trust.
Notes to editors:
The Central Scotland Forest comprises West Lothian, Falkirk, North Lanarkshire, north-eastern parts of South Lanarkshire and eastern parts of East Dunbartonshire. It is an area in which the Scottish Executive is working with many partners to establish extensive new, multi-purpose woodlands and to carry out other environmental improvements.
Kinneil 