DEFRA Offers Chichester Council £240k To Continue Trees Project

Sunday, 10 September 2023 06:00

By Karen Dunn, Local Democracy Reporter

Chichester District Council has been offered £240,000 by The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) to continue the Trees Outside Woodlands Project for another two years.

In 2020, Chichester was one of five local authorities chosen to trial-run innovative ways of getting more trees planted – and, more importantly, surviving – outside of existing woodlands.

So far, trees have been added to more than 100 sites across the district.

During a meeting of the cabinet on Tuesday (September 5), members were told that the project was supposed to end this month but money had been secured to carry on until March 2025.

While it will fall to the full council to decide whether or not to continue with the project, cabinet members were firmly in favour of doing so.

Jonathan Brown, cabinet member for environmental strategy, said: “I can think of no reason why we wouldn’t want to support a continuation of this project, especially given that it is cost neutral to council finances.”

Phase one of the project saw the council take part in a subsidised tree scheme – providing trees to households, businesses and community groups – as well as agroforestry and the Trees on Farms scheme.

As well as continuing with the Trees on Farms scheme, phase two will see Chichester take the lead alongside Cornwall Council on a new pilot focusing on targeting tree planting in certain areas to improve wildlife connectivity.

Mr Brown said:

“It’s obviously good and exciting to be able to contribute to the gathering of data that will help form effective policy to drive reforestation for biodiversity and climate change objectives.

“From Chichester’s perspective, it’s also a great opportunity to increase tree planting in the district, with benefits for biodiversity, landscape, carbon capture and storage, and relationship building with landowners.”

The recommendation to continue with the project will be decided at a meeting of the full council on Tuesday (September 26).