Final countdown to community forest opening

The final phase of work on the transformed Ingrebourne Hill site, the latest addition to the Thames Chase Community Forest that spans East London and South Essex, has begun. Owned and managed by the Forestry Commission, the 74-hectare (183-acre) site, converted from former gravel extraction workings and landfill use in the Ingrebourne River Valley in South Hornchurch, will soon be a green space giving opportunities for a wide range of leisure and other activities identified in consultation with the local community. The site has been capped and covered with soil ready for the last stage of construction, landscaping and planting, which will involve literally dozens of contractors. The official opening of the site is scheduled for June this year.