A PROPOSAL by the Marquis of Normanby’s North York Moors National Park estate to cover an 555-acre area has been cautiously welcomed.

The 15,000-acre Mulgrave Estate in the national park has announced plans to plant 300,000 trees across an area more than double the size of the land within York’s city walls.

The scheme, which will need the approval of the Forestry Commission, could see trees being planted from early next year.

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The environmental scheme has been unveiled as a meeting of the national park authority’s finance committee heard its tree planting targets had fallen slightly behind schedule and as the body works to encourage more tree planting, offering landowners free saplings to counter the loss of many trees due to widespread ash dieback.

While the Mulgrave Estate’s scheme will focus on planting in the north-east of the park, the authority has raised concerns the loss of ash trees will have a significant impact on the park’s landscapes and environment elsewhere.

The estate, which has been the Marquis of Normanby’s family seat since the 18th century, said the “pioneering woodland creation project” would see planting area in the parishes of Glaisdale, Egton, Grosmont and Goathland.

Robert Childerhouse, the estate’s manager, said: “This is probably one of the largest private woodland creation projects in the North East and is something the estate is very passionate about, with woodland currently making up some 16 per cent of the estate’s 15,000-acre area.”

The estate’s woodland programme focuses on the importance of creating and maintaining a thriving and diverse woodland habitat and an attractive environment.

While the estate has been subject to criticism over some of its recent plans for the villages, Mr Childerhouse said it was very important to the estate that it shared the proposals with residents to find out their views.

A public drop-in consultation event for the plans has been arranged for Monday June 5, between 3pm and 7pm, at Egton Village Hall.

Mr Childerhouse said: “Our estate woodland is used for both commercial timber production as well as amenity and conservation. We have a very successful firewood business and we employ four foresters on the estate.

“It’s also important to note that the popular Mulgrave Woods at Sandsend are open on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays throughout the year, except in May when the birds are nesting.”

Esk Valley councillor Clive Pearson, who farms at Glaisdale, said the tree planting plans would be welcomed in principle, but local residents would want to see detailed proposals.

He said: “Everybody wants to see the trees being planted, but it’s got to be at the right density, with the right species at the right place and in the right amount."