North Northamptonshire Council (NNC) will receive funding via the Local Authority Treescape Fund for the planting and upkeep of 1040 new trees across the local area up until 2025.
NNC has been successful in securing a total of £237,504 of capital funding to be received between financial years 2021/22 through to 2024/25 and the grant money awarded covers the purchase of 1040 trees, associated stakes and cages, plus funds for three years of aftercare to ensure that those planted have the best chance of survival.
Cllr Graham Lawman, NNC’s Executive Member for Highways, Travel and Assets
I am delighted that this grant money was formally accepted at our recent meeting of the Executive. This means our Officers will now be able to begin work on such an important project, with the first trees due to be planted in early 2022, further enhancing our lovely area.
Cllr Jason Smithers, Leader of North Northamptonshire Council
Since NNC declared a climate and environment emergency in July, we have been working tirelessly to ensure we are doing all we can whilst also looking to the future. This funding, and the extra trees that we can now plant in North Northants, will go some way to helping us all in the long term.
Cllr Harriet Pentland, NNC’s Executive Member for Climate and Environment
We’re fully committed to reducing carbon emissions in North Northants and the planting of over 1000 trees will support this. Planting of trees also has many biodiversity benefits, including the creation of new habitats and flood risk alleviation, which is why I am so pleased we have received this grant funding.
The Local Authority Treescape Fund is aimed at establishing trees in non-woodland settings such as in riverbanks, hedgerows, parklands, urban areas, beside roads and footpaths and sites in Corby, Kettering, Broughton, Rothwell and Raunds have all been identified as suitable for tree planting. Further sites across the authority are being sought for the following years.
The fund is administered by the Forestry Commission, with grants worth between £50,000 and £300,000 available. NNC has been successful in securing funding from the 2021/22 application round that opened earlier this year.
The grant money was formally accepted and approved during the 17 November meeting of the Executive.
Alongside this grant, NNC are also supporting the Queen’s Green Canopy and will be planting trees to celebrate Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee throughout the 2021/22 planting season.
