Z1205/193

Female. Director, Forest of Marston Vale b. 04.11.1961 SIDE A (00 mins)Born in Walthamstow, London but moved to Romford, Essex aged 2. Used to visit East Anglia a lot with parents. After A Levels studied Town Planning at Chelmsford. Worked for Cambridgeshire county Council in their Planning Department for 2 years, then moved to Bedford, working for Phillips Planning Services for 2 years. Moved to work for the Countryside Commission in Cambridge. After a while, Bedford became part of her responsibility. Stayed for over 8 years. (05 mins)Marston Vale Community Forest was one of her projects. When her job at the Commission was due to change, she applied for, and got, the job as Director of the Marston project. Attracted by opportunity for creating a dramatic change in the environment. Outline of other 11 community forests nationally. (10 mins)Project became an independent charitable trust, Marston Vale Trust, in order to facilitate the transfer of land from Hanson to create a Country Park. Visitor Centre originally conceived, when applying for Millenium Lottery funding, as likely to raise profit to fund the future of the project, once initial large funders withdrew. Now clear that this was over-optimistic. Only one other community forest has a similar building for public use. Countryside Agency (previously Commission) funding of all national community forests until 2005. All have long-term aim of 30% tree cover in their designated area. (15 mins)£2.4 M grant from the Millenium Commission. 250 hectares of land valued at £900,000 given by Hanson Brick as a way of giving back to the area, after a century of clay extraction. (20 mins)Construction of Forest Centre began in January 1999 and took 52 weeks and the same time period for the construction of the wetlands. "Hannah Read" managed the project. (25 mins)Reeds were planted extensively and Canada Geese came along and ate them. More had to be planted and better protected. National Cycle Network - Sustrans - crosses the Country Park, as part of the Oxford to Cambridge route. Country Park is an easy way for people to get out into the countryside in a safe way and then introduce them to other parts such as the ancient woodland at Marston Thirst. (30 mins)Cycleway from Bedford to Danish Camp, Willington. (32 mins)End of Side A SIDE B (00 mins)Van Diemans Land given to Forest as part of the Asda warehouse development outside Bedford. Tree planting opportunities for the public. Benefits from the planning system. Insisting in more tree planting paid for by developers. The Forest Team can act as an honest broker between developer and community. (05 mins)As current funding streams dry up, the Forest Team will have to spend more time and effort on raising money rather than spending it. Time to concentrate on larger-scale projects, such as the land purchase at Rectory Farm, Cranfield, to re-create a 174acre wood that was there at the time of the Domesday Survey in 1086. Team will still be able to give advice to community groups for relevant projects in their area. Over life-time of project, team started in a room in Wootton Library, then transferred to the old brickworks offices at Stewartby, before purpose-built offices were built at the Forest Centre.Leaving post to take on a new challenge. To work for Environment Agency in Kent, managing a large part of the Kent coast and providing water resources for an enlarged Ashford. (12 mins)End of Side B Original Interview 45 mins.

22 January 2003

From: 1960 To: 2003

item

Hanson Brick Limited,
ASDA

planners, Marston Vale Trust, Director, ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES, charity, Millennium, trees, geese, cycling, Cranfield Rectory Farm, Domesday Book, lotteries, MARSTON MORETAINE, Walthamstow, Romford, Cambridgeshire, Oxford, CRANFIELD, WOOTTON, STEWARTBY, Kent, Ashford