Anne-Marie Trevelyan, MP for Berwick-upon-Tweed, used a Parliamentary debate on tree planting yesterday to highlight an excellent Northumberland forestry initiative to Ministers and colleagues.
The MP, who is Vice-chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Forestry, also used the debate in Westminster Hall on tree planting, to call for the Government to recognise the ability of trees to contribute to combating climate change, hailing trees as “the most efficient, cheapest carbon capture technology, which nature has already given us”.
The Northumberland MP urged the government to recognise both the long-term benefits of tree planting to flood-prevention strategies, and their short-term benefits almost immediately after planting: “Research has shown that tree planting can have an impact on water flows within a year as tree roots take hold and the ground is disturbed. More importantly, it is time that we looked at long-term solutions to long-term systemic problems rather than being satisfied with quick fixes.”
Mrs Trevelyan went on to highlight the plans for Doddington near Wooler: “An exciting application in my constituency highlights what can be achieved. As the Minister will know, we have a plan to plant 600,000 trees on land at Doddington North, near Wooler, one of the more northern towns in my constituency…. Doddington will be a great example of modern, mixed forestry—a range of tree species planted with open spaces and designed to fit into the existing landscape and deliver a huge range of benefits. The Doddington plan was launched this summer near Wooler at our local countryside show, the Glendale show. There was wide support from the community and even wider support for the fact that the consultation had started such an early stage.”
The MP went on to cite the benefits of the scheme to local sawmill A&J Scott Ltd, who employ over 100 people in Northumberland.
The Minister concluded the debate by reiterating the Government’s commitment to planting 11 million new trees in this Parliament.
You can read more of the debate HERE.