Rt Hon Anne-Marie Trevelyan, MP for Berwick-upon-Tweed has welcomed Defra’s new fund for tree planting and natural regeneration in local communities.
The Local Authority Treescapes Fund will receive £2.7 million this year (2021/22), building the pipeline of projects for community planting in future years. It is expected that up to 50 grants worth £50,000 to £300,000 will be available for local authorities, working together with community groups, volunteers and NGOs.
Speaking of the fund, Anne-Marie said:
“I am so pleased that Defra is helping local communities to build back greener after the pandemic, especially by targeting non-woodland locations that have been neglected in the past. Local people will know how passionate I am about tree planting, not only to create and restore diverse habitats for people and wildlife to enjoy, but as vital carbon capture and flood prevention tools.
“I hope Northumberland County Council apply for a grant, and I have written to them to ask them to consider applying to the scheme.”
The fund is part of the Government’s Nature for Climate Fund and is aimed at establishing more trees in non-woodland settings such as 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.
More information: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/local-authority-treescapes-fund
Photo: Anne-Marie planting trees at Doddington Forest (pre covid) pictured with former MEP Paul Brannen and Andy Howard