Many of us will realise the benefit of planting trees in our local communities. There has been a significant amount of tree planting completed within our wards. This has been done to replace some of the trees which have been lost to disease and those which have been lost through storm damage.
The Conservative Government has provided additional monies to Local Authorities to support the planting of trees in the locality. They are provided with guidance on how to apply for funding and there are important dates by which the applications have to be made for this additional funding. Planting proposals must meet best practice.
The Urban Tree Challenge Fund provides 50% funding of standard costs for planting large trees and their establishment costs for 3 years following planting. The funding supports the cost of buying a tree, planting in grass, the cost of basic protection and the labour required to plant it.
Establishment payments support the cost of weeding, watering and checking trees during multiple visits over a 3 year period.
The bid that Sefton Council made in December 2021 for funding, secured £41, 873. During the coming months additional dates will be made available for applications for more funding.
You may have seen some of these trees in your locality. It is important that we all take responsibility to ensure that they are nurtured in the next few years as they grow to maturity.
Trees are at the heart of the Government’s ambitious environmental programme, to deliver on the promises made at COP26 and treble tree planting rates by the end of this Parliament. We all know at local level trees and woodlands are the lifeblood of communities, essential to supporting wellbeing, reducing pollution and improving people’s quality of life.
The Government has committed to increase tree planting rates across the UK to 30,000 hectares per year by March 2025. This equates to between 90million and 120 million trees each year depending on planting density.
The tree in your road is just one of these. Nurture it as it has an important role in our lives.
