THE FIRST seeds of a planned woodland and meadow on the southern boundary of Forfar look set to be sown today.

Proposals to turn a field into a public open space will be decided at Angus environmental and leisure services committee, which meets in the town.

Leisure services director John Zimny will present councillors with a blueprint for the two-hectare field, which envisages planting nearly half of it with native broadleaved trees.

They will be asked to approve a change of use of the field into recreational space.

Committee members are being asked to approve the woodland aspect of the scheme, subject to public consultation through the planning process, with grant aid to be sought to help pay for it.

In his report, Mr Zimny says, “The agricultural lease for the field ended in 2001 and, since that time, it has lain fallow and been cut once a year with a flail.

“The field…is well used informally by the public since its return to open, public use.”

Mr Zimny says the woods would run parallel to the woodland boundary of the adjoining Reid Park, tapering off to the south.

“This development will enhance the current mature trees on the edge of the Reid Park, the woodland on Balmashanner, but it will also be an example under the Nature Conservation Act of the council’s duty to enhance biodiversity in the management of its land,” he adds.

The cost of the project has been estimated at £3000, with the price of materials, amounting to £1500, being met by grant aid from the Forestry Commission.

Maintenance costs have been budgeted at £300 a year for the first three years.

As native woodland, the costs of maintenance after establishment are nominal, the director adds.