Sirhowy Hill Woodlands

Tredegar, Blaeau Gwent, Wales

In 2025, Common connected with Sirhowy Hill Woodlands CIC, who manage over 200 acres of woodland for Blaenau Gwent Council and identified a strategically vital parcel of land at the centre of the site that had come onto the open market.

If sold privately, the land risked fragmenting the woodland, increasing anti-social behaviour and undermining the CIC’s ability to steward the site long term. Common is supporting the CIC to progress a pathway to community ownership, protecting the integrity of the woodland and enabling future community-led development.

Area: 85ha

Bioregion: Wales

Existing land use: Development land with planning permission, woodlands on reclaimed coal tip

The scale of this site, combined with the proven track record of the CIC, offers a significant opportunity to scale social, environmental, and economic benefits. By securing this land, we support the continuation and expansion of: 1. Education & Employment: Accredited skills training and forest management services. 2. Food Security: Community gardens, food production, and cooking classes. 3. Economy: Sustainable timber production and local job creation. 4. Health & Nature: Wellbeing events and voluntary conservation programs.

Environmental

Social

Economic

Born from a single community litter pick in 2015, Sirhowy Hill Woodlands CIC is a volunteer-led organisation dedicated to the active management and restoration of local nature. Formally incorporated in 2019, the group transformed once-neglected woodland into a thriving, accessible nature reserve that fosters community pride across all generations.

The project intends to utilise the Common Land Purchase Facility to secure the land for the community. This is to be repaid through aligned grants, or through a refinance once the project has progressed to a stage where a loan can be secured from a lender aligned to community led, affordable housing.