A programme billed as ‘land regeneration for the 21 st century’ will see a total investment of over £59mn, said the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA).

The NWDA and the Forestry Commission (FC) announced an additional £36m spend for the Newlands (New Economic Environments through Woodlands) programme, which was launched with an investment of more than £23m in 2003. It is working to regenerate more than 900 hectares of brownfield land across the Northwest region to create new opportunities for leisure and recreation.

To date, Newlands has delivered regeneration on sites across the Mersey Belt, and this additional funding will allow the programme to expand to cover the entire North West region.
Lord Clark, chairman of the FC, said: “Today’s announcement of an additional £36 million for Newlands is a powerful endorsement of the real difference that the project is making to communities in Manchester and the Mersey area. I would like to congratulate the NWDA for its commitment to the regenerative power of Newlands. The new funding will extend this economic and environmental renaissance into Cheshire, Cumbria and Lancashire.”