A huge forest stretching from Liverpool to Hull is coming to the North and planting has reached its next stage in Greater Manchester.
The Great Northern Forest scheme plans for more than 50 million trees to be planted in a 120 mile corridor across the north of England within a 25 year window. The forest is set to connect Liverpool, Manchester and Lancaster to the West with Sheffield, Leeds and Hull to the East.
By October 2019, 600,000 trees had already been planted as part of the scheme. In 2020, Greater Manchester’s local councils received funding for their areas to get involved, with the Government’s Urban Tree Challenge fund handing out £10 million to get the scheme going.
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Across Greater Manchester’s ten boroughs, the hope is over 2,500 trees will be planted across the city region, including 650 small sapling trees and over 1,900 large, high impact trees. Now, Trafford council is set to plant its next batch of trees in Stretford and Altrincham.
The work is involving environmental impact group City of Trees working with the council’s tree unit, the council’s contractors Amey and local community groups. New trees will be introduced on two sites in the borough next month at playing fields adjacent to Lostock Park in Stretford and at Grove Park in Altrincham.
It is understood site surveys have been undertaken to ensure that the planting will not interfere with any existing important habitat space, archaeological features or underground services. Funding in Trafford is set to cover all costs of the trees and their upkeep for the next 15 years.
Coun Steve Adshead, Trafford council’s executive member for environmental and regulatory services, said: “Climate change presents us with a huge challenge as more extreme weather becomes the norm and flooding poses an ever-increasing risk.
“Planting trees is an important part of a programme of measures that will be needed to help reduce our vulnerability to climate change, and we welcome the news of additional trees on sites in Stretford and Altrincham.”
Earlier this month Coun Adshead put out a plea for private landowners to take advantage of the funding available to create new wooded areas on their land. For more details of this scheme email pete@cityoftrees.org.uk. To find out more about City of Trees click here.
