A ’micro forest’ scheme is being developed in Ramsey.

Hartford Homes has been working with Manx Wildlife Trust and Ramsey Commissioners to finalise plans to develop a micro forest at the Royal Park in Ramsey.

Micro forests are dense, fast-growing native urban woodlands rich in biodiversity and can thrive in areas as small as a tennis court. The trees grow more rapidly.

This is the ’first of several planned micro forests’, according to Hartford Homes and will be put into place in 2022.

It is estimated there will be around 1,600 Manx native trees planted in total.

George Li, an architect with Hartford Homes who is behind the scheme, said: ’We all understand the need for quality, energy efficient new housing on the island, but we have to ensure we balance that with climate change mitigation and the needs of our environment and to enrich the locations where our homeowners and communities live.

’The next few years will see Hartford take this to an exciting new level as plans progress to allow for even greater impact reduction in carbon emissions not only from the finished home in use, but also for the carbon consumed in construction.’

Andree Dubbeldam, MWT conservation officer and coordinator of the micro forest project, added: ’As we plant more, we will be creating a network of biodiversity hotspots across our island communities, so we can closely engage with nature and enable a generation of children to grow up to see these micro forests mature.’