Pleasureland & Golf Club join to salvage fallen trees and create a landmark International attraction

North West attraction bags Golf Club’s Wood.

Unprecedented UK storms saw two Merseyside businesses work together to salvage a brighter outcome from the devastation and find a sustainable future for some of the region’s uprooted trees.

Southport Pleasureland CEO Norman Wallis approached Formby Hall Golf Resort & Spa with an offer of salvaging trees that fell prey to the storm – recycling them to form part of his ambitious plans to create a landmark international attraction.

“We have a keen focus on sustainability and recycling as we move forward. We want to use as much locally sourced, sustainable materials as we can as we work toward delivering something astonishing for the North. Formby Hall lost almost 40 trees and we felt making them part of the park’s future was the right thing to do.”

The club’s Facilities and Maintenance Manager Ken Bennett was only too happy to help. The grounds cover more than 300 acres and the holes on its 18 and 9 hole courses are divided by thousands of mature trees.

He said: “We were happy to see the fallen sycamore and oaks go to somewhere where they can be used and enjoyed. Most of the trees would have been more than 50 years old, and we’re on sandy soil here, so the trees were more prone to falling in the high winds. To see the wood used in this way, and for such an exciting project makes the storm damage more bearable. We’ve already started our replanting programme.”

The wood has been de-barked and treated at the park’s workshops and will form a significant part of the next chapter of the 100-year-old park’s history. It will contribute to attractions from the park’s new Viking Golf experience through to a range of eco-friendly buildings.