With an estimated 15 million trees, Telford and Wrekin is well placed to exceed the UK Government aspiration to increase tree cover in England from 17% to 19% of land area by 2050. Currently, the borough’s ward average tree cover is 22%, with a borough-wide average of 15%.
In 2021 the council refreshed its Trees and Woodland Management Policy to look after trees on council-owned land in Telford and Wrekin. The policy was refreshed to protect and manage trees and woodlands to ensure a safe and healthy tree population that provides sustainable and functional climate change benefits and mitigates for the loss of ash trees due to die back. You can read more about our approach if you download the Trees and woodlands management policy for Telford and Wrekin. It sets out how the council aims to:
- increase tree cover
- ensure an attractive safe and healthy tree population that follows a ‘right tree in the right place for the right reason’ approach - view more information about this in our FAQs
- provide sustainable and functional climate change benefits for future generations
- mitigate for the loss of ash trees due to ash dieback.
Tackling ash dieback is a big challenge. The disease arrived in the UK in 2012 when an imported nursery tree from Asia brought the disease to these shores. It is expected that most ash trees will succumb to the disease with many dying and needing to be felled. Telford and Wrekin recorded its first case in 2013.
It is estimated that ash trees make up around 35% of the borough’s tree stock and so the potential loss of canopy cover would be considerable, with knock on effects to carbon sequestration abilities and ground water absorption levels.
Natural regeneration and replacement planting with disease resistant native and non-native trees will mitigate for the loss of ash trees.
Watch this video explaining our approach for tackling ash dieback:
Last updated: 18/08/2022 10:08
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