Up to 3 million new trees will be planted across the Cherwell District after the Council backed a cross-party motion to double tree coverage by 2045.
Cherwell District Council will now seek to cultivate up to 3000 hectares of land after the motion, which was proposed by Conservative Councillor Hugo Brown and seconded by Labour Councillor Sean Woodcock, committed the Council to seek and secure funding from the Government for tree planting. It also reiterated the Council’s commitment to require developers to protect and enhance biodiversity through tree planting, as they build new homes, commercial buildings, and infrastructure.
Strides have already been made to improve tree coverage locally with the planting of 30,000 trees at the DCS Woodland in Banbury Country Park almost complete. The 100-acre Burneyhyll Community Woodland between Chesterton and Bicester is also being prepped for planting with the Council recently committing funding of £80,000 in 2021/22, rising to £230,000 by 2023, to develop the project, including archaeological surveys, public access footpath work, signage, gates, park furniture, and tree planting.
Deddington Councillor Hugo Brown who proposed the motion said: “I am pleased this motion has been voted through. More trees will help make our area a more pleasant place to live whilst having significant positive impacts on our local environment – improving air quality, enhancing wildlife habitats, and aiding flood management.
I would like to thank Councillor Woodcock for seconding this motion. Climate change should not be a party-political issue, rather, we should all be motivated by an ambition to secure the long-term future of our climate for the next generations.”
