A new community woodland is set to be created in Faifley Knowes following additional woodland and habitat improvements in the area.

The work is being undertaken to support West Dunbartonshire Council’s (WDC) Climate Change Strategy and will see the new wooded area located on the hill on Douglas Muir Road.

The space will provide a wildlife corridor from Faifley Knowes to Auchnacraig Woodland Park with native trees and shrubs planted for seasonal interest.

It will also feature colour and shelter for both people and wildlife.

Funding for the project was secured by the Council in partnership with the Green Action Trust to carry out the work, with the woodland forming part of the COP26 legacy Clyde Climate Forest plans.

In an effort to improve biodiversity and provide shelter small pockets of woodland will also be planted in Faifley Knowes.

Community feedback gathered last year has been taken into account, meaning the area and land under pylons, which is popular for sledging, will not be planted.

Grass paths through the woodland and sledging area will also be kept short during the summer months.

None of the planting will obscure views, and overhanging vegetation will be cut back along paths, WDC confirmed.

Councillor Iain McLaren, convener of infrastructure, regeneration and economic development (IRED) at the council, said: “The planting of these trees will not only benefit our residents and the environment but also encourage and boost biodiversity in the area.”

Vice-convener Councillor Diane Docherty added: “I’m pleased that West Dunbartonshire Council is continuing the COP26 legacy of the Clyde Climate Forest by creating this new woodland area, which will benefit not only local residents but also wildlife and the environment.”