Issue - meetings

Councillor C Healy, Cabinet Member for Visitor Economy, Historic and Natural Environment and Climate Change presented the report of the Director of Neighbourhood and Enforcement Services.

The Borough had significantly more trees than many other towns and cities and it was estimated that the Council was responsible for around 15 million trees. The Council had recently launched the ‘Trees4TW’ scheme, were 8,600 trees were provided to local residents, schools and landowners to plant as part of the fight against climate change.

The Council would continue to support planting of trees and aimed to mitigate the loss of trees through Ash die back, other disease or storm damage. The report sought the agreement for additional resources to survey trees within the borough and to undertake safety works as required.

The Leader of The Liberal Democrat / Independent Group expressed his thanks to the Council’s Tree Officers and noted the vital work the Council was undertaking with partner organisations regarding green spaces in the Borough. He raised that he would like to see the Council offer support to residents who due to means or capacity were not able to manage neighbouring trees themselves, comments which were echoed by the Leader of the Conservative Group. The Cabinet Member for Visitor Economy, Historic and Natural Environment and Climate Change stated agreed that there needed to be a balance of where the Council was able to support residents where it was needed, however, recognising the budget pressures this would incur.

RESOLVED that –

a)    the amendments to the Tree and Woodland Management Policy as set out in Appendix 1 of the report be approved

b)   the progress to date be noted and the approach to the management of trees and woodlands within the Council’s ownership be endorsed

c)    authority be delegated to the Director of Neighbourhood and Enforcement Services, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Green Spaces, Natural and Historic Environment and the Cabinet Member for Neighbourhood, Commercial Services and Regeneration, to secure £150,000 for the financial years 2021/22 only to undertake condition surveys and priority works in the management of Ash dieback

d)   authority be delegated to the Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Green Spaces, Natural and Historic Environment to see funding opportunities for Ash dieback since withdrawal of funding by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) following in March 2020.