Thames Chase is a Community Forest covering 40 square miles of green belt land in east London and south-west Essex. It was set up in 1990 and is one of 12 Community Forests in England.

Project aim

The aim of this regeneration project is to increase the woodland cover of the area from 8% in 1990 to over 30% by 2030. This will be achieved by planting 5.5 million trees on land formally used for landfilling of waste, mineral extraction and agriculture. The remaining area will be a mixture of farmland, meadows, wildlife areas and public open space.

Partners

Thames Chase is a partnership supported by:

• Office of the Deputy Prime Minister
• Countryside Agency
• Forestry Commission
• Councils of Barking and Dagenham, Havering, Thurrock, Brentwood and Essex.

Many other organisations and partnerships are also involved in creating the forest including both business sponsors and the voluntary sector. There are also lots of opportunities for local people to become involved in Thames Chase.

Further information

See the Thames Chase website