WORK is to get underway on a new visitors’ centre and welcome area at Delamere Forest in October.
The developments by Forestry England, with construction partners Willmott Dixon, will see a new café with upgraded facilities featuring more indoor and outdoor seating, along with key improvements made to accessibility.
With more than 750,000 people visiting the forest each year, a new car park with extra capacity and enhanced vehicle access is promised as part of the project to cater for busy days and popular events, like Forest Live concerts.
As part of the longer-term project for the forest, work is already underway to develop a short-stay holiday cabin site provided by Forestry England’s long-term partner, Forest Holidays.
Paddy Harrop, forest management director for the area, said: “The new visitor hub is the most significant investment for Forestry England this year and shows how important Delamere Forest is as a visitor destination.
“Forest Holidays’ cabins will allow visitors to experience Delamere in a new way and their investment will help to support the project."
The new site will see 67 eco-sensitive cabins installed in the north western part of the forest, as well as health and well-being trails, offering visitors for the first time short overnight breaks in the heart of the forest.
It is hoped that the investment and development of the new holiday site will help to support Forestry England’s long-term sustainability vision for Delamere Forest.
Programme director of Forest Holidays, Dan Parish said of the development: “Delamere Forest will be a flagship location for Forest Holidays and our team are looking forward to working with local businesses and playing a part in creating new opportunities through the creation of jobs and lasting local partnerships.”
Further plans for graded cycle trails and enhancements to existing trails and waymarked routes will get underway following the completion of the visitors’ centre and holiday cabins.
Delamere will remain open to visitors during this period, with the construction of the visitors’ hub due for completion by summer next year and the improvements to the trails completed in 2021.
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