Councillors to consider potential sites for more trees and hedgerows to be planted

Members of East Lindsey District Council’s overview committee on Tuesday December 9 were to consider the tree and hedgerow strategy action plan, which was developed by the South and East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership.

The partnership – which covers East Lindsey, Boston and South Holland – said the proposed policy was developed in response to a mapping exercise which showed that approximately 6.5 per cent of land in south and east Lincolnshire was classified to have tree cover and 1.5 per cent was classified as having hedgerow coverage. The area is largely dedicated to arable farming with most trees and hedges long since removed to allow for more cropping and bigger machinery.

This is against the national average tree cover of 12.8 per cent and a national hedgerow cover average of 2.5 per cent.

The partnership’s research also showed that over 80km of carbon is removed from the atmosphere across south and east Lincolnshire annually, with an estimated economic value of £18 million.

It said it has worked with Friends of the Earth to map out potential sites for future woodlands across the area.

A potential 908 hectares have been identified in East Lindsey, 11 hectares in Boston and less than one hectare in South Holland.

The partnership said the difference in the size of potential sites for more trees and hedgerows to be planted showed the need to focus on ‘urban planting opportunities’ such as community woodlands and orchards in parts of South Holland.

It said that larger scale woodlands could be created in more rural areas in East Lindsey.

The report said: “The draft Tree and Hedgerow Action Plan for South and East Lincolnshire puts forward a number of proposed activities set across the Plant, Protect and Participate core objectives.

“These include activities such as reinvigorating and reinstating Tree Warden networks, working with communities and wider stakeholders to identify planting opportunities with ongoing management plans, taking steps to improve and encourage strong biosecurity measures to minimise the spread of pests and diseases and to ensure a consistent and transparent approach to decision-making concerning trees and hedgerows across our own landholdings.

“It also includes development of achievable tree and hedgerow planting targets based on informed evidence.”

The report added that trees and hedgerows are things which residents “often feel very passionate about” and said the proposed strategy sets out a “clear vision” of how the partnership will plant more trees and hedgerows.

This comes as the government has set a national target for the creation or restoration of 30,000 miles of hedgerows by 2037 and 45,000 miles by 2050.

The policy has already been considered by South Holland District Council at a policy development panel meeting on Tuesday, November 25.

It was also to be discussed by members of Boston Borough Council’s overview and scrutiny committee at a meeting on Tuesday, December 9.