THE COUNCIL is to buy a large piece of agricultural land to turn into a wildlife-rich countryside area for Andover residents to enjoy, The Advertiser can exclusively reveal.

Test Valley Borough Council is in the process of purchasing the 38-acre site near Upper Clatford, and aims to plant up to 7,500 trees to help re-wild it.

Situated to the south of Bury Hill, the former iron age fort has been purchased using money secured from housing developers through the planning process, and is due to come into public use in autumn 2022.

Its aim is to improve access to the countryside for residents.

TVBC leader, councillor Phil North, said: “The Covid-19 pandemic highlighted just how important green space is to our communities. My hope is that generations to come can enjoy this wonderful area of countryside and make the most of what the borough has to offer.

“Our planet has to be at the forefront of our minds, and of course this will be the primary topic of conversation over the coming weeks as we head towards the UN Climate Change Conference, Cop26, in Glasgow. In Test Valley, we are doing all we can to support these international efforts to reduce our carbon output, open up more green space such as this, and work together to fight climate change.”

As well as the benefits to mental and physical health, trees play a major role in the fight against climate change by locking up carbon from teh atmosphere.

Currently, the UK has a woodland coverage of 13 per cent, compared to the EU average of 37 per cent. According to the Committee on Climate Change, to reach its target to become carbon neutral by 2050, that number is recommending to rise to 19 per cent.

TVBC said it cannot state how much money is to be spent on the project, but they aim to complete the purchase towards the end of the year and start work towards opening it up for the public to enjoy, with the view of making it available for use in autumn 2022.

The 7,500 trees planted here will add to the 11,000 the council is planting this autumn and winter across the borough as a whole.

It comes shortly after Cllr Alison Johnston was named as the new cabinet member with responsibility for climate change and the countryside.