‘Jubilee wood’ plans near Sidmouth

SCHOOLCHILDREN have been invited to help plant a woodland near Newton Poppleford to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

And a community orchard scheme at the Byes in Sidmouth could also get a �500 boost as part of celebratory initiatives led by Clinton Devon Estates.

The estate and Lord Clinton’s Charitable Trust have joined forces to support parish and town councils in celebrating and marking the jubilee.

Estates director John Varley told Sidmouth town councillors in a letter that a new woodland will be created next to Harpford Wood, near Newton Poppleford.

Mr Varley said: “This will be dedicated as a Diamond Jubilee Woodland and will be open to the public for access and recreation. We believe we can also improve the existing public access routes through the wood by creating new routes through this jubilee woodland. We hope that local people, and ideally school children, will play a key role in planting this wood during 2012.”

Lord Clinton’s Charitable Trust will donate �500 to each town and parish on the estate to support an event or activity to mark the Queen’s jubilee.

The trust would prefer if the funds were used to plant individual or small groups of trees.

Town councillors heard last week how a community orchard in the Byes would meet the criteria for the funding.