Agenda item

(To receive a report from Dan Clayton, Sustainability Manager – Environment, which provides the Committee with an update on the Green Masterplan and the initial progress towards the Council’s target to reach net zero carbon by 2050)

Consideration was given to a report by the Sustainability Manager, which provided an update on the Green Masterplan and the initial progress towards the County Council’s target to reach net zero carbon by 2050.

The Committee was informed that the Council had put in a successful application to the Local Authority Treescapes Fund for the delivery of trees in non-woodland settings. This was partly driven by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) through the Forestry Commission, seeking to mitigate the anticipated loss of trees through ash dieback disease. The findings of surveys carried out by the Council’s highways team had concluded that Lincolnshire was expected to lose about 80 to 90% of trees on the highways network through ash dieback.

As a whole, Lincolnshire had one of the lowest tree coverage rates in England, partly because of its importance as an agri-food producing and processing area. Further funding for the planting of trees provided an opportunity to address this disparity. 

In partnership with District and Parish Councils, Lincolnshire County Council had identified a number of sites across the County to plant trees and a map had been produced for locations where it would be suitable to plant new areas of woodland, which was set out in within the report.

The Sustainability Manager emphasised the importance of putting the right tree in the right place to ensure that trees were not planted on areas which were already important habitat areas or wetland areas.  The tree strategy looked to address these issues as well as addressing the potential that existed for providing trees highways and streets.

It was hoped that with the currently obtained funding and the bids for other funding resources, the Council would meet the target for a tree for every resident - 750,000 trees over the next 2 to 3 years.

Members considered the report and during the discussion the following points were noted:

• The Committee welcomed the introduction of a tree strategy and the progress that was being made in the planting of more trees across the County, for environmental and aesthetic reasons.
• It was confirmed that the Council would be taking part in the Jubilee Tree Planting Celebrations that were planned for 2022 and a number of sites had already been identified for this event.
• Hedgerow planting was not allowed to be included in the LATF. However, there were plans to add to existing woodland through improving hedgerows.
• The Council were working closely with District Council’s to analyse any existing strategies that were in place and have a joined up approach.
• The Council would be working with the Woodland Trust on the tree strategy project.
• It was hoped that Officers would continue to work closely with local planning authorities to provide practical help for developers in theprovision of trees in the development of new housing estates, in line with requirements in the Environment Act.

RESOLVED:

1.      That the proposal to submit an application to the Trees Call for Action Fund be supported;

That the progress towards developing a Tree Strategy for the County be endorsed.