Willmott Dixon is continuing its relationship with Forestry England with a £14.5 million project to upgrade its tree nursery near Delamere Forest, Cheshire.

It follows a project completed in 2020 that delivered a new timber-frame visitor welcome centre, also at Delamere Forest, which has improved the experience for 750,000 people who visit the forest each year.

The new contract for Forestry England, procured via Procurement Hub’s Major Projects Framework, includes a new seed extractory building that will produce seeds for millions of high-quality, climate-resilient trees in the decades ahead. It will be equipped with the best available processing machinery alongside providing expanded areas for cold and dry seed storage that will enable several tonnes of seeds to be stored in the best conditions before germination and planting.

The new facility, due to open in spring 2025, will be the largest in the UK, testing and processing up to four tonnes of tree seeds each year. It will replace Forestry England’s current seed extractory at Alice Holt Forest which was built in 1964. Funding for the upgrades is being made available from the Defra Nature for Climate Fund with Forestry England contributing.

The development will allow Forestry England to process more seed from a greater variety of tree species located in 13 specially planted orchards and 39 seed stands in the nation’s forests. Focus species include more Douglas fir, western red cedar and Norway spruce because they are expected to grow well and produce high quality timber in England’s future climate conditions.

This will produce a secure supply of high-quality tree seed from diverse species over the years ahead to significantly improve availability for UK nurseries and reduce the number of seed imported from overseas. It will benefit the UK forestry sector as a whole and plays a major part in boosting diversity in timber producing tree species.

Adopting best practice construction principles, the facility has been sustainably designed to achieve excellent levels of environmental performance and will be net zero carbon in operation.

Imam Sayyed, Forestry England Head of Plant and Seed Supply, said:

“This investment marks an exciting next phase in our nursery operation building a state-of-the-art seed extractory. We’re delighted to be working with Willmott Dixon who share our commitment to building sustainably. Forestry England is the leading tree seed supplier to the public and private sector and this investment builds our capacity to deliver high quality seeds in the decades ahead.”

Michael Poole-Sutherland, north west director at Willmott Dixon, said:

“We are delighted to be working again with Forestry England in Cheshire and creating a truly sustainable seed processing and nursery facility.

“Just as with the Delamere Forest visitor centre we completed in 2020, our experts are prioritising sustainable materials and construction methods. The building will be net zero carbon in operation and built using cross laminated timber (CLT) frame, as a sustainable alternative to steel, concrete and masonry. It will also feature solar PV panels, triple glazing, sustainable drainage solution and benefit from our extensive EnergySynergy performance monitoring process to reduce costs.

“We share Forestry England’s passion for creating employment opportunities and skills in this community. We will create apprenticeships and engage local students through our bespoke Green Skills Academy, combining curriculum-enhancing practical, construction-based STEM and sustainability focussed lessons. Our team will be also leading and supporting local community projects, focussing on protecting nature and improving mental and physical wellbeing.”

Andy Peck, Senior Client Relationship Manager, Procurement Hub, said:

“It has been a pleasure for Procurement Hub to work with Forestry England. Forestry England are always thinking beyond today, and that is the same approach that Procurement Hub takes in this ever-changing world. We look forward to continuing working together with Forestry England.”