ROCK star, Robert Plant, opened a new Wyre Forest centre with a ceremonial cutting of a branch.

At the official opening of the Gateway to Wyre community discovery centre at Callow Hill, near Bewdley, Mr Plant, said: “I have lived around here all my life and often spent eons of time in this beautiful environment and appreciate its value to us as local people.

“It is a beautiful backdrop and place of peace and rest. Due to industry, it is a small miracle that we can enjoy it. I can’t imagine a more dynamic beautiful building for this setting. It will be a centre point for information.”

Before sawing the branch, Mr Plant pretended to cut through the stand he had been speaking from and joked “it used to TVs out of windows” that he damaged.

A welcome address was given by Ian Hickman, managing director for the Forestry Commission West Midlands, who praised the participation and partnerships that had made the Grow With Wyre project possible.

A speech was made by Simon Hodgson, chief executive of Forest Enterprise, part of the Forestry Commission, who said: ”This building is really important. It is one manifestation of a long-term project.”

Les Sparks, chairman of the Heritage Lottery Fund West Midlands, also spoke at the event, saying: “It is absolutely the building for the place - it is a first class job. 2010 is the international year of bio-diveristy, a United Nations project to celebrate the diversity of life on earth. The aim is to inspire people to learn more about the environment, to engage with it and to help to sustain it.”

The centre features a sensory garden, bird observatory and classrooms designed to expand visitors’ knowledge of the region’s abundant natural history.

There is also an archive and recording facility that will help document and promote the region to a wider audience.

The building is heated by wood chippings from the forest, rain water is collected for the toilets and sewage is managed with a reed bed system.

The project was largely supported by a grant of just over £1.8 million by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), under its landscape partnership programme.

Bob Griffiths, project manager for the Wyre Forest landscape partnership scheme, said: “The discovery centre is a fantastic new building that gives us the ability to involve both local people, and those living further away in more urban areas, and give them a greater understanding of the wonderful natural world here at the Wyre Forest.”

Louise Sutherland, project officer for Grow With Wyre, said: “This is a really important venue to the community, as it is a valuable resource for education on the bio-diversity of wildlife of Wyre Forest.”

Georgina Coen, one of the Grow With Wyre Community Representatives, said: “Overall, it is a brilliant scheme. It is bringing together lots of different interest groups.”