A NEW wood near York is set to be permanently named 'York Community Woodland' after almost 800 people took part in a consultation - as it emerged that seven acres of the site has already been transformed into a wild wood meadow.

Residents were invited to suggest possible names for the woodland near Knapton, west of York, that reflected the heritage of the local area and tied in with the project’s ambitions.

Three possible names won support from the public - York Community Woodland, York Wood and Knapton Wood - and a report to a meeting of City of York Council's executive next week recommends its working name York Community Woodland should be retained.

"The working title of York Community Woodland is well-received and gained recognition through the engagement process," it says.

"The concept of a ‘Community’ woodland represents a contemporary view of woodland creation and clearly differentiates it from ancient woodlands in the area."

Proposals for the future design and funding of the woodland are to be considered by the executive next Thursday.

A spokesperson said the woodland was intended to be a bio-diverse, green space providing a place for peaceful contemplation and leisure for the people of York and support efforts to tackle climate change.

They said that in recent weeks, a seven acre field area of the site had been transformed into a wild wood meadow.

"With help from Woodmeadow Trust and a local farmer, the area was sown with locally harvested wildflower seed from the Lower Derwent Valley National Nature Reserve, together with a ‘nurse crop’ of annual cornfield flowers supplied from Greentech," they said.

"The biggest benefit of sowing the wildflower seed is its assistance to the land in suppressing weeds and cultivating the soil."

Cllr Paula Widdowson, executive member for climate change, said tackling climate change wasn’t just about reducing carbon emissions but also encouraging more bio-diversity and promote habitats where wildlife could thrive.