WORK has started on a new 22-acre wood set to improve landscape and wildlife on outskirts of Witney.

The Friends of Wychwood, which is leading the £100,000 scheme, hope Foxburrow Wood will become a place for recreation and nature study.

The work off Foxburrow Lane started this month and will take place in several phases over three years.

A hedgerow by a public bridleway is being restored and the first sections of the woodland are being planted.

The site will soon be fenced to keep out deer. Funds for the scheme came from grants and donations. Project director Nick Mottram said: “It’s great to see the work starting after many years of planning and fundraising.

“Woodlands are a precious resource and Foxburrow Wood will have numerous benefits for local people for generations to come.

“It will provide much needed space for quiet recreation and enjoying the outdoors in an area which currently has little accessible natural greenspace.

“It will also benefit different plant and animal species by creating new habitats and helping to restore the range of woodland habitats that once characterised the Wychwood area.

“Foxburrow Wood will provide a visual buffer between the urban edge of Witney and the landscape of the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.”

He added: “There will also be many opportunities for local people to get involved in creating and caring for the wood.”

The Veolia Environmental Trust gave £24,950 to the scheme.

Executive director Margaret Cobbold said: “We support community and environmental projects across the UK and it is always good to hear about the start of one we have helped.

“This important scheme will provide valuable habitats and a natural resource that can be enjoyed by all. I look forward to seeing the woodland take shape.”

The Friends of Wychwood hope residents will get involved in creating and caring for the new woodland by joining them at tree planting days and helping with maintenance.

To get involved, visit wychwoodproject.org.