Regional Tree Planting
Difficulty surrounding land, access, and regulations – scope for a programme to bring organisations together to submit planting programme.
- WMCA Environment Team have submitted a bid into the Woodland Trusts’ Emergency Tree Fund to create a West Midlands Forest Partnership. The Partnership would aim to create a regional focus to tree and hedge planting and to complete an i-tree assessment of current tree stock, similar to the assessment in the Black Country. We should know the outcome soon and would look to increase team capacity to lead on this work.
Tools libraries for the community to borrow tools to plant trees
- The WMCA Environment Team will have a conversation with the Active Wellbeing Society who have several ‘Share Shacks’ in Birmingham and North Solihull. The WMCA will look into including community reuse hub as part of our circular economy work.
Issue with tree nurseries keeping up with supply and need to set up local tree nurseries to be more self sufficient
- In the WMCA Natural Environment Plan we have committed to creating a West Midlands tree nursery and will work with partners to progress this.
How can we work with bigger landowners, who can make a bigger difference than any small group could?
- In the WMCA Natural Environment Plan we have committed to hosting a regional landowner’s summit to promote collaboration and bring forward land for trees and other biodiversity projects.
To share mapping of greenspaces for community groups to use information in funding applications
- Support can be given by the grant administrator CommunityGreenGrants@wmca.org.uk
- We would suggest contact be made prior to submitting an application to ensure the best chance of success.
- Map data to identify the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) for an area is here IMD 2019 Maps
- Information on Green Infrastructure and accessible greenspace provision is here, this also includes detail on Accessible Natural Greenspace standards
- The West Midlands Virtual Forest is a mapping platform to log trees and hedges you plant to build a picture of how we are all helping to create a fairer, greener and happier West Midlands.
Biodiversity considerations are built into big infrastructure projects
- Major projects will always be subject to planning approval and compliance with local authority policies which include provision for Biodiversity. For developments after November 2023, it will be mandatory for all new development to deliver Biodiversity Net Gain. At the WMCA we are working on an internal corporate Environment Plan where we propose to set out a clear commitment to deliver Biodiversity Net Gain on all new projects prior to this becoming a mandatory required.
Share information sources on maintaining trees and hedges and biodiversity support
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WMCA launched the Right Tree Right Place campaign in February 2022 to provided support on planting the right sizes tree in smaller spaces, such as gardens.
- View the guidance here.
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This was shared along with the 400 trees given away to events in Coventry, Birmingham and Wolverhampton.
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WMCA launched a biodiversity webinar series in 2022 to support potential applicants to the Community Green Grants. The webinars are open to anyone to learn about biodiversity
- View the schedule.