A GREEN strategy for protecting
trees in Northumberland has been created in an effort to make the county more pleasant for visitors and residents.
Northumberland County Council’s plan, Growing Together, aims to help the local authority, as well as town councils and parish councils, to manage trees and woodland while being aware of their legal responsibilities.
Numbers of trees in the UK are diminishing, with charity the Woodland Trust saying we need at least twice as many native trees and woods for the sake of wildlife and people, to combat climate change and improve our environment.
The strategy – the brainchild of John Alderson, the tree and woodlands officer for Northumberland County Council – hopes to provide guidance on how to sustain them into the future.
The county council’s executive committee has signed up to the strategy which will enable the council to have a consistent approach to tree management across Northumberland, and which highlights use of the best arboricultural practices.
The plan sets out how the council will meet its legal obligations in respect of the trees it owns or is responsible for, as well as the level of service it will provide to individuals and bodies such as parish and town councils.
Public understanding of trees and their benefits to individuals, local communities and the biodiversity of the county as a whole is key to the success of the policy, and the council has highlighted a need to inform and educate communities too.
Tree planting is a key feature and the strategy points out the importance of carefully chosen species which will have a positive impact on wildlife. The tree strategy comes on the back of the Love Northumberland campaign, which aims to encourage everyone in the county to care for the area by keeping it clean and green.
Coun Ian Lindley, executive member for neighbourhood services at Northumberland County Council, says: “Trees and wooded areas both promote biodiversity and play a key role in our continually changing climate. Through Growing Together we wish to champion high-quality tree management, while ensuring that the county is kept clean, green and safe.”
The new strategy covers a number of areas including highway tree maintenance, woodlands, school tree policy, trees on private land and planning services.
One of the knock-on effects it is hoped the plan will achieve is to improve the quality of life of residents. According to experts trees have a number of benefits, including reducing noise pollution by acting as a screen, improving air quality by filtering out pollutants and carbon dioxide and preventing flooding by stabilising soil with their roots.
Many species of animal, fungi and lichen depend on trees and hedgerows to survive. Species such as the red squirrel, dormouse, barn owl and bats, all of which are priority species in Northumberland, also need trees.
However sometimes trees can cause inconvenience and become a bone of contention if they block out light, hang over into neighbouring gardens or the road or damage footpaths. And the strategy sets out guidelines for managing this. The council says the effectiveness of the tree management policy will be monitored every year and reviewed every five years.
Thornley House News
