Rufford Colliery: Work starts to create new forest at ex-mining site

Work to turn a former colliery in to a forest has started with the planting of the first of 18,000 trees.

Contractors are aiming to plant 3,000 trees a day at Rufford Colliery in Nottinghamshire, with work expected to be complete by Christmas.

It is part of Nottinghamshire County Council's plans to plant 250,000 trees across the county over the next five years.

Councillor Mike Adams put the first oak in the ground.

"All these thousands of extra trees are going to bring so many benefits to our local communities including creating new habitats for wildlife, improving air quality, and giving residents an improved experience," he said.

Mining at the colliery finished in 1993 and plans to build a waste incinerator at the site were turned down in 2011.

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