The government has announced plans for a series of “forest towns” to be built between Oxford and Cambridge, forming the heart of a new national forest designed to show that large-scale
housebuilding can coexist with nature.
Ministers, under pressure from conservation groups over deregulation proposed in the forthcoming planning bill, say the project will demonstrate that development and ecological recovery can work hand in hand. Central to the vision is a pledge to plant millions of trees across England.
Nature minister Mary Creagh said the initiative drew inspiration from the postwar garden city movement. “Given our promises on tree planting, we asked how we could create forest cities that bring nature closer to people, green jobs closer to communities, and help tackle climate change,” she told *the Guardian*.
The scheme dovetails with chancellor Rachel Reeves’s investment push in the so-called Ox-Cam corridor, which the government hopes to transform into “Europe’s Silicon Valley”. New towns and rail links are planned, with ministers claiming the corridor could add up to £78bn to the UK economy by 2035.
The national forest would provide expansive green space for residents and workers, while delivering high-quality habitats alongside urban growth. Creagh said the announcement would form part of the UK’s contribution to Cop30 in the Amazon, adding that the model shows developers and government can “use trees to build communities and create beautiful places where people want to live”.
Homes within the corridor are expected to be no more than a 10-minute walk from woodland. “It’s about creating places where generations will put down roots,” Creagh said, “and where nature can thrive.”
A second new national forest will be planted in northern England, with a competition to select the location due early next year. This comes as part of a pledge to spend more than £1bn this parliament on tree planting and forestry support. In March, the government launched the Western Forest—the first new national forest in 30 years—stretching from the Cotswolds to the Mendips.
All Whitehall departments have been instructed to align policies with the chancellor’s economic growth mission. Defra argues that tree-planting targets across Britain could support more than 14,000 jobs and says it is exploring a woodland carbon purchase fund to provide upfront payments to landowners creating carbon-rich forests.
Environment secretary Emma Reynolds said: “Our woodlands are vital for regulating our climate, supporting wildlife and increasing access to nature. We are delivering on our manifesto commitment with three new national forests.”
Further details on biodiversity commitments are expected in the updated environmental improvement plan, which will outline how ministers intend to meet the legally binding nature targets set under the 2021 Environment Act. Photo by James Allan, Wikimedia commons.