Issue - meetings

Purpose of report

To ask Cabinet to approve the South Kesteven District Council Trees and Woodlands Strategy 2024 – 2034.

Decision

That Cabinet:

1.    Approves the new South Kesteven District Council Trees and Woodlands Strategy 2024 – 2034.

2.    Delegates authority to the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Cabinet Member with responsibility for Environment and Waste to make minor amendments to the document, as necessary, before final publication.

Alternative options considered and rejected

The Council could have decided not to have a Trees and Woodlands Strategy. However, such a decision would not align with the Council’s commitment to delivering on the ambitions set out in its adopted Climate Action Strategy and on new duties for biodiversity improvements. The results of the public consultation (Appendix 5 of the report) also demonstrated a clear desire from residents for the Council to develop a strategic approach to the management of its tree assets.

Reasons for decisions

The Trees and Woodlands Strategy would inform how the Council would protect and enhance the district’s tree population, with specific reference to tree preservation orders, development control and tree canopy cover increase through public and partnership engagement. In doing so, the Strategy would play a key role in the Council’s ambitions to increase biodiversity.

Climate change was an issue that the Council was attempting to tackle now; trees and woodland played a pivotal role in cutting carbon emissions. Lincolnshire saw some of the lowest levels of tree cover in England, although this was expected given the agricultural land use in the County.

Some areas of the District may not be appropriate for tree planting but the Strategy still represented a significant opportunity to increase tree cover. The Strategy was developed with the support of Treeconomics, who had worked with other local authorities.

The public consultation on the Strategy closed in February 2024, with approximately 900 responses. 99% of these respondents agreed that trees and woodlands were valuable assets, and 96% agreed that planting, maintaining and protecting trees was a worthwhile investment.

The Council had a dedicated Tree Officer whose role was to find funding opportunities and work with communities.

The Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee reviewed the Strategy in March 2024, and subsequently endorsed it and recommended it to Cabinet.

Members commended the report and emphasised that hedgerows and hedge-laying were also key elements in tackling climate change. They also highlighted the healthy response to the public consultation which demonstrated a pattern of higher engagement with consultations in recent times.