RESIDENTS in an area of York have been urged to join in with plans on the planting of a new community woodland in the city.

Proposals on the woodland and wildflower meadow in Monk Stray will be open to residents of Heworth and Heworth Without wards, and have been put forward by local charity the John Lally International Foundation.

The charity was set up in memory of environmentalist John Lally, who died in 1995, and has seen thousands of trees planted in his name on five acres at St Nicholas Fields Nature Reserve.

The new area will take up about a third of Monk Stray, which is currently grassland with trees forming at the edge of Malton Road. If successful, the wood will be a mixture of deciduous trees and a wildflower meadow.

Gordon Campbell-Thomas chairman of John Lally International Foundation said: "Trees are essential for the well being of humans and animals, trees give us pleasure, as well as being useful in helping prevent things like flooding, and in York we know how bad that can be."

Mr Campbell-Thomas said the new woodland could also help prevent future flooding.

The meeting is open to all at Heworth Rugby Club, Elm Park Way, tomorrow night, at 7pm.