Plans for a £14.5 million tree seed processing facility and nursery near Delamere Forest, Cheshire, have been unveiled by Willmott Dixon and Forestry England.

As civil and structural engineers on the project, we’re working with Willmott Dixon, Ellis Williams Architects and Buckland Timber to prioritise sustainable materials and best practice construction methods.

The facility includes a new seed extractory building that will produce seeds for millions of high-quality, climate-resilient trees in the decades ahead. It has been sustainably designed to achieve excellent levels of environmental performance and will be net zero carbon in operation.

Due to open in spring 2025, the development will be the largest of its kind in the UK, testing and processing up to four tonnes of tree seeds each year. Funding for the upgrades is being made available from the Defra Nature for Climate Fund with Forestry England contributing.

It 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.

It follows on from the completion of the new timber-frame Delamere Visitor Centre, which we were structural engineers on. Completed in 2020, the centre has improved the experience for 750,000 people who visit the forest each year and you can read more about it here.

James Bruce, director at Civic Engineers, said: “Located on the outskirts of Delamere Forest in an area that is rich in wildlife, the new seed processing and nursery facility will play a crucial role in boosting the UK’s forests and woodlands.

“At every step of its design, we’ve prioritised low carbon and low wastage materials and methods, building using a cross laminated timber (CLT) frame and incorporating sustainable urban drainage, to create a sustainable, future-proof and climate resilient centre for Forestry’s England’s vital work.”

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.” [Image credit: Ellis Williams Architects].