Completed project

Polmont Woodlands

This project for Falkirk Council aimed to improve the resilience, amenity, and conservation value of woodlands across the Polmont area.

Client and funding

Client: Falkirk Council

Green Action Trust has worked with Falkirk Council over several years to manage and develop its woodland portfolio, following community consultation exercises in 2018.

This project in the Polmont area has been delivered over several phases. Phases 1 & 2 were completed through funding secured from a combination of Falkirk Council and the Green Action Trust’s allocation of Scottish Government’s Nature Restoration Fund; Scottish Forestry’s Woodland Improvement Grants; Falkirk Council’s Section 75 allocation from nearby development; and EB Scotland.

In phase 1, funding was just over £60,000, while just over £250,000 was secured for phase 2.

Phase 3 is in development and details are available here.

Total Funding (phases 1&2): £310,000

Aims & objectives

environmental outcomes

The project aimed to deliver multiple outcomes, across these key areas:

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Woodland Management

Through a mix of height reduction and removal of dangerous trees; tree thinning and new native woodland planting.

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Access to Greenspace

Improvements made include new path links through the woods; resurfacing of existing paths; new signage and seating.

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Habitat & Biodiversity

Native habitats have been restored through removal of non-native plant species and planting of new native woodlands.

About the project

Falkirk Council’s Forest Estate Plan aims to improve the resilience, amenity, and conservation value of woodlands across the area.

This includes enhancing biodiversity with new tree planting, invasive species removal, path upgrades, and making the woods safer and more accessible for communities.

Green Action Trust has been helping to deliver against this plan by managing the work in the Polmont area over different phases. The first phase in 2022 involved tree planting to create new native woodland habitat alongside existing woodlands. Phase 2, which completed during 2023, saw the enhancement of six sites, with further work planned into 2024 at an additional 2 sites (phase 3).

Details of the work over the six Phase 2 sites can be found below. Click the button for a map showing their locations.

Polmont woodlands

The Six Sites

Polmont Park
Gray Buchanan Park
Westquarter Glen
Westquarter South
Redding Bing
Gilston Crescent

Featured site

Polmont Park Woodland path

Before

No path through woodland

During

Constructing the path

After

The finished result