Tree Nursery at Cross Platts Quarry

When Trees of Light began in earnest in January 2006, we realised that the main asset required to aid our expansion was more space to grow and store trees until ready for planting out in permanent positions.

In August 2007, during a visit to the ABLE project in Wakefield, we met Neil Davidson, Corporate Social Responsibility, Marshalls plc. He was interested in our work and told us that he would look for any land that was available. In October he took us to view a plot in Southowram, Halifax called Cross Platts Quarry. This was a quarry which had been refilled with stone waste and was subsequently to be used for agricultural / environmental purposes.

We later held discussions with Neil Davidson and David Smith, Operations Manager, Marshalls plc and put forward our proposals. Our aim being to use the site to erect a large polytunnel to provide an all weather working area for the Trees of Light Volunteers as well as making a safe secure area in which to invite groups who wished to be involved with the project. The groups this would be aimed at in the short term would be local schools and the Pitstop project.

We talked about the logistics of this and then in March 2008 we all met with Ian Watson, Group Property Director, Marshalls plc. He gave his backing to the project and authorised us to proceed with a planning application to Calderdale Council.

We applied to the Community Foundation for Calderdale, Children and Young People Fund, for a grant to cover the cost of purchase and erection of the polytunnel. This was granted in May 2007.

During the year further meetings with Marshalls were held and when the planning permission was granted in December 2007, we ordered the polytunnel and construction began in the second week of January 2008.

There is much work yet to do on the site before it is ready for Trees of Light Volunteers to work on.

David and Cathy Sergeant are organising the set up. As well as receiving support from Marshalls plc, we are being helped by Green Business Network, the ABLE project and many others.

The Bare Plot

29th December 2007

Wet and Windswept Celebration

29th December 2007

Marshalls help with footings

4th January 2008

Site levelling for polytunnel

3rd January 2008

Polytunnel delivery

7th January 2008

Foundations

8th January 2008

Framework up

9th January 2008

Polytunnel construction finished

2nd February 2008

Site dries out

9th February 2008