Tree fund for local communities announced

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs has announced a new funding initiative to increase tree planting and natural regeneration in local communities.

With £2.7 million available this year, the Local Authority Treescapes fund is aimed at establishing more trees in riverbanks, hedgerows, parklands, urban areas, beside roads and footpaths, in copses and shelterbelts, including neglected, disused and vacant community spaces.

Trees in these settings are particularly valuable as they can provide the greatest levels of benefit to ecosystems and society, such as carbon absorption, flood protection and support for biodiversity, as well as connecting fragmented habitats.

The fund target landscapes that have been neglected in the past, ecologically damaged or affected by tree diseases like ash dieback - with ash being the most common species of tree found in non-woodland locations.

Grants are available for local authorities, working together with community groups, volunteers, NGOs. Bids will be accepted from early April 2021 and successful applicants will be informed by the end of July.

Forestry Minister Lord Goldsmith said: “I am delighted to announce this new fund, which will get trees planted and land regenerated for the benefit of local communities and nature. This is an opportunity for communities to work with their local authorities to identify land, design projects and apply for funds. Trees and land restoration are central to our plans for nature recovery and to get to net zero emissions, and we know how much value people place on trees and green spaces in their local communities.”