PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Tree Planting: Finance (12 May 2021)

We are committed to increasing tree planting, and will set out policies to achieve this in the England Tree Strategy, including planting and protecting trees in and around urban areas, which are vital to creating healthy places to live.

We have announced a third round of bidding for the Urban Tree Challenge Fund (UTCF) on the 26 April 2021. Currently there are no UTCF funded projects in Enfield North however, applications are open to anyone who wants to plant trees in urban or peri-urban areas.

We have also announced the Local Authority Treescapes Fund (LATF) to increase tree planting and natural regeneration in local communities. £2.7 million will be available this year (2021/22) and is aimed at establishing more trees in non-woodland settings such as along riverbanks or footpaths. Applications will be accepted from unitary and top tier local authorities in England, including London Boroughs.

These funds are part of the Government’s Nature for Climate Fund and support trees in locations with the greatest levels of benefit to ecosystems and society, such as climate adaptation, health, and wellbeing, as well as connecting fragmented habitats.

The London Borough of Enfield was awarded a grant of £678,700 in the first round of the Green Recovery Challenge Fund which was for large scale ecological improvements to Enfield’s rivers, including planting 60ha of new accessible woodland which was separately funded by the Forestry Commissions’ Woodland Carbon Fund and installing 20 rural sustainable drainage systems to reduce flood risk to over 1,000 properties.