New funding will see thousands of trees planted across the city

Twenty thousand new trees will be planted across Wolverhampton after the council secured almost £130,000 from The Woodland Trust.

Planting is planned for areas of the city where there is currently less tree cover and will support the council’s Tree and Woodland Strategy as well as recognising our recently declared climate emergency.

Native species such as English oak, hawthorn, crab apple, silver birch and hazel will be planted after the council was successful in receiving £129,500 from The Woodland Trust.

The conservation charity invited councils to bid for funding under its Emergency Tree Fund which aims to look after existing trees as well as identify new areas for planting.

The money will enable us to identify where trees are most needed, carry out the planting and continue to monitor the trees. New planting will take place at the end of this year and into next spring.

The new scheme complements our existing planned programme of planting across a number of city parks including Fowlers Park, Penk Rise, Bantock Park, Spring Vale Park, Stow Heath Lane Open Space and Moseley Road Open Space.

Councillor Steve Evans, cabinet member for city environment, said: “I’m really pleased to hear of our successful bid to The Woodland Trust and very much welcome the planting we can carry out with it.

“Trees are really important for our environment. They can capture carbon from the atmosphere, create a habitat for wildlife, reduce the effects of summer heat and limit the risk of flooding.

“Getting out into nature also provides a boost for our physical and mental well-being, which is very important for us all.”

Councillor Barbara McGarrity, the council’s Climate Change Champion, said: “The money we have been awarded will allow us to carry out more planting to sit alongside our existing schemes and enable us to cover more areas of the city with a variety of native species.

“We want to do all we can to continue to make Wolverhampton a cleaner, greener city and create an environment for everyone to enjoy.”

John Tucker, the Woodland Trust's Director of Woodland Outreach, said funding given to the city under the Emergency Tree Fund formed part of a £2.9 million pot shared nationwide. He said: “The Trust’s Emergency Tree Fund has the power to inspire tree planting and woodland creation and galvanise the need to treasure trees and green spaces in neighbourhoods across the UK.

“What the country’s fight against Covid-19 has shown is how communities have come together in a time of crisis. As the pandemic hopefully abates, getting outside and planting, maintaining and enjoying trees will be a way for this spirit to be harnessed once again in a different but a very important way - to tackle the climate and nature crises which also affects us all. 

“Our overall goal is to inspire local authorities across the UK to help their residents become tree champions - and to make trees a key part of their policies. We want to help them to become examples of green innovation to inspire other areas.”