Councils secure share of £2.9m in emergency tree fund from Woodland Trust

Wokingham Council has received £300,000 to plant more than 250,000 trees across the borough

(AP)

The Woodland Trust has created a £2.9m “emergency tree fund” to help councils plant more trees and create green spaces.

The funding from the trust, which will go directly to councils, is to help achieve its mission of establishing 50 million more trees by 2025.

The nature charity said it was providing funding to local authorities at a time when money available to maintain outdoor spaces might be limited.

In the first phase of the project, which is set to expand in 2022, the trust is working with 11 local authorities including COP20 host city Glasgow, which wants to increase urban tree cover from 16 to 20 per cent, and Belfast City Council, which aims to plant 1 million trees over the next 15 years.

The Woodland Trust said many local authorities had declared climate and natural emergencies and set out ambitious tree-planting targets.

John Tucker, director of woodland outreach at the Woodland Trust, said: "The trust’s emergency tree fund has the power to inspire tree-planting and woodland creation and galvanise the need to treasure trees and green spaces in their neighbourhoods across the UK.

"What the country’s fight against Covid has shown is how communities have come together in a time of crisis.

"As the pandemic hopefully abates, getting outside and planting, maintaining and enjoying trees will be a way for this spirit to be harnessed once again in a different but a very important way – to tackle the climate and nature crises which also affects us all."

The use and amount of the monies vary from council to council. For example, Wokingham Council has received £300,000 to plant more than 250,000 trees across the borough.

Devon County Council has been supported with £297,349 from to create "Devon net zero", including measures to plant trees on its land, creating a tree strategy for the county, and tackling tree disease.

Wolverhampton Council has a total of £129,500 to plant pockets of woodland on a range of open spaces in the city.

The local authorities receiving funding are:

• Edinburgh Council - £298,055

• Glasgow City Region - £400,003

• Sheffield City Council - £183,319

• Belfast City Council - £289,585

• Wokingham Council - £300,000

• Cornwall Council - £293,965

• Devon County Council - £297,349

• Cardiff Council - £228,862

• Bolsover District Council - £269,160

• Wolverhampton Council - £129,500

• Black Country Consortium - £175,000

Additional reporting by PA