When will we see all these trees planted?

AS part of the drive to combat climate change, our government has committed to plant 30,000 hectares of woodland by 2025.

Tree cover in England is about 10 per cent, and in Europe tree cover is significantly more at 35 per cent.

In South Leicestershire, tree cover is a miserly 4 per cent, and there are no accessible woodlands in or near Market Harborough.

Why does Harborough have so few trees? The answer is complicated and lies in past land use. We cannot alter the past but we can influence the future by taking action now.

The government has announced its intention to raise tree cover to 17 per cent by 2050 in order to meet its carbon reduction targets.

It has been estimated that about 100 million trees will have to be planted – a very ambitious, if not impossible, target.

Leicestershire currently has a 6 per cent tree cover (far more trees in the north).

The county council has recently announced that tree cover is to be increased to 20 per cent by 2050, though there is uncertainty about how this will be achieved.

Harborough District Council has had a policy of supporting the “living environment” since the 2008 Climate Change Act i.e. 12 years ago.

The council’s Core Strategy (2011) states it “will develop the Green Infrastructure Asset of the District as a resource for biodiversity conservation and enhancement, habitat restoration, low key recreation, tree and woodland creation and flood mitigation”.

Natural England says there should be one hectare of “nature reserve” per 1,000 people. The population of Market Harborough, Great Bowden and Little Bowden is about 25,000.

Despite its policies, the district council appears to have no targets for planting trees or creating woodlands, though they are encouraging local parishes to take responsibility for management of “open spaces”.

A Freedom of Information request stated that last year the council removed 37 trees and planted 11. Another 43 trees are scheduled to be planted this autumn/winter. Also, “partners” planted 1,700 trees.

One condition of the Airfield Farm Housing Development was the creation of a “country park”.

Last winter, contractors planted 86 trees in the park. Unfortunately, half have died and many more look unhealthy. One presumes that those involved couldn’t care less.

Most councillors say they are very committed to improving our natural environment and support the government’s initiative to create woodlands to tackle climate change.

However, despite its commitments, the council appears reluctant to do anything.

Harborough District Council should be planting tens of thousands of trees, but most of the land in and around our towns and villages is owned by housing developers, farmers and private individuals.

Local landholders are not willing to sell land so as to create woodland, especially as it is likely to become lucrative “building land”.

District and county councils own land, but they would rather make money by building houses than creating woodlands.

However, our councillors ( and officers) could turn things round. They could make something happen, they could use council-owned land to create woodlands and/or nature reserves, they could use their powers to designate land specifically for woodland/nature reserves, and they could use Compulsory Purchase Orders to obtain land so as to create woodland/nature reserves.

Every councillor has a moral duty to protect residents, both now and in the future. Unless those that govern us are prepared to do the right thing and provide the leadership that is desperately needed, the future for our children and grandchildren looks very bleak.

There’s a popular Chinese proverb: “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The next best time is now!”

Michael J Hitchcox, Market Harborough