Investment to boost community tree cover across parts of England

£2m in government funding has been announced to investigate increasing tree cover in English communities.

Projects that seek to enhance biosecurity and increase tree cover in communities across England are set to receive a share of over £2 million in government funding.

Non-woodland treescapes have been badly affected by tree pests and diseases and other issues, so finding ways to boost their numbers effectively will help to meet the aims of the England Trees Action Plan and Government ambitions to treble tree planting rates by the end of this Parliament.

This investment forms the second phase of the Trees Outside Woodland Research and Development programme. It will fund projects testing the effectiveness of tree planting methods and approaches in nonwoodland areas so that more, healthier trees can be planted in the future.

Research from the first phase is already beginning to have an impact, as successful approaches piloted will be rolled out in an England-wide grant scheme later this year.

Research projects funded by the second phase will:

• Test how to sustainably improve the capacity and biosecurity of locally grown tree planting stock, to ensure more trees can be planted closer to where people live.

• Research the most cost-effective and biosecure ways to plant, establish, and promote trees outside woods, enabling increases in non-woodland tree canopy cover.

• Focus on sharing this knowledge with Local Authorities to enable enhanced local delivery of healthy and thriving treescapes.

• In the long term, help to increase tree cover within our local communities and

“The Trees Outside Woodland programme has supported myriad pilot projects up and down the country that have bolstered the health and resilience of our non-woodland treescapes. From agroforestry schemes in Cornwall to experimental Miyawaki plots in Kent, the Trees Outside Woodland programme is providing a springboard for innovative research into tree planting.

“Further investment in the programme will build on previous successful work and help Government deliver on our ambitious tree planting targets.” all across the country. The Tree Council is delighted to help coordinate this amazing collaboration.”

Director of Trees, Science & Research at The Tree Council, Jon Stokes, added: “Historically undervalued, the 4.3% of England that is covered with non-woodland treescapes - such as hedges, scrub, trees on farms, parks, and in urban settings – is now recognised among our most important treescapes.

Trees outside of woodlands are worth over £3.8 billion due to their multi-faceted role across the UK’s ecosystems. This includes storing carbon, regulating temperatures, strengthening flood resilience and reducing air pollution. Together, these help to mitigate against climate change, reduce impacts from floods and improve people’s health and wellbeing.

The Trees Outside Woodland Research and Development programme is delivered in partnership by The Tree Council, Natural England, the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, and five Local Authorities - Chichester District Council, Cornwall Council, Kent County Council, Norfolk County Council and Shropshire Council.