Launch of of £1.5 million woodland fund

More than 40,000 new trees are to be planted in parks, playgrounds, estates, schools and community spaces across London as part of the launch of the £1.5 million woodland fund.

Funded by the Community Tree Planting Grants as part of the Mayor’s Greener City Fund, the investment will see projects underway in 21 London boroughs, with Mayor of London Sadiq Khan keen to expand the capital’s ‘urban forest’ of eight million trees which can store carbon, help improve air quality, and create habitat for wildlife.

The woodland fund funding is available for boroughs, charities and public sector land owners to create new large-scale woodland for all Londoners and visitors to the capital to enjoy. Khan is committed to improving the green belt and increasing the current proportion of London’s land area under tree canopy by 10 per cent by 2050.

As part of this round of funding, London Wildlife Trust will plant 1,500 trees to create a new 0.45-hectare woodland in Hillingdon, London Faiths Forum will work with faith communities across the capital to plant trees near places of worship and 546 new trees are being added to Mayesbrook Park playing fields in Barking and Dagenham to support local wildlife and enhance the park.

Khan said: “Our much-loved green spaces boost our environment and enhance our quality of life and I’m committed to planting thousands of new trees. City Hall want our new woodland funding to help improve our Green Belt and I’ve written to all London boroughs asking them to nominate suitable sites. We are also delivering 40,000 new trees to brighten a range of local parks, buildings and green spaces. As we move towards making London the world’s first National Park City I’d encourage everyone to get involved in helping make our city greener and to take part in the mass tree planting this December.”