Tree Frontiers News
A newsletter that helps keep you abreast of interesting facts and information from the world of arboriculture and related industries
As 2024 draws to a close and we prepare for a break over the festive period, we thought it worth a brief review of what the year has brought. The year started with a relatively mild winter, followed by seemingly endless rain until the end of summer. Autumn brought storms, the most notable of which (Storm Darragh) caused violent disruption in early December across much of England. ?
2024 has also seen significant changes, including a Labour landslide in the summer election on a manifesto promising a program of change. In our field, this has been reflected in the updates to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), although this has not resulted in any additional protection or prominence for trees. The long-awaited consultation on BS5837 has been completed, and we anticipate the revised edition will be published in spring 2025. ?
Looking ahead to next year, we expect an increase in planning projects due to changes in the NPPF although will a sluggish economy at the end to the year result in a slow start as confidence wavers?? There are concerns about the limited number of additional planning officers being sought by the government as it seeks to expedite planning applications – the proposed new number (300) may not be sufficient to meet the demand. ?
We would like to extend our gratitude to all our clients for their support and confidence in our services, and we look forward to continuing to work with them and new clients in 2025. We wish you all a happy Christmas and best wishes for the New Year.
Global Conservation Consortium launched for rare trees
Forestry England Westonbirt has announced the launch of the Global Conservation Consortium (GCC) for Whitebeams, Rowans and Service trees. Working with other partners across the UK, the GCC will build upon previous and existing efforts to work towards protecting the future of these threatened trees.?
Lost Nature: House builders fail to deliver required wildlife benefits
A survey of nearly 6,000 houses across 42 developments found that only half of the promises to protect nature had been kept. Researchers from the 英国谢菲尔德大学 visited?housing estates across five Local Planning Authorities, with the mission to compare what had been promised as a condition of getting permission to build. The findings have been presented in their Lost Nature report.
Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT) scheme update
The Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT) pays farmers and land managers to manage land in a way that protects, restores or enhances the environment, or mitigates the effects of climate change. The CSHT will roll out in a controlled way by?invitation, so that everyone gets the right level of support. Natural England or the Forestry Commission (or both) will provide pre-application advice from January 2025 to enable farmers and land managers to prepare for an application.
Revised National Planning Policy Framework published?
Earlier this month, the Government published the revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) setting out the planning policies for England, and how these are expected to be applied. The key changes focus on housing targets and an increased emphasis on affordable housing, particularly social rent. There were very limited changes that relate to trees, with no changes to any text and?just two key paragraph numbers being altered.?
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Planning proposals?that focus on improving the environment
Measures to accelerate housebuilding have been set out as part of wider proposals for the upcoming Planning and Infrastructure Bill. The Bill will play a key role in promoting economic and environmental growth. Under the new reforms, developers will be able to pay into the Nature Restoration Fund allowing building to proceed immediately with a delivering body, such as?Natural England, taking responsibility for securing the environmental outcomes.?
Detection?dogs sniff out tree disease
Groundbreaking project successfully trains detection dogs to identify the tree pathogen Phytophthora ramorum. This destructive organism can cause extensive damage or death to more than 150 plant species. With the increase in movement of goods and people between countries and climate change increasing this latest innovation will help to protect the UKs trees and woodlands.?
Finding the trees to survive the future
In July this year, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew announced that they believed over 50% of trees could be at risk by 2090 due to environmental changes caused by climate change. Tune into this insightful podcast, where the head of tree collections at Kew shares the research that Kew has done to reach?this conclusion. The podcast can be accessed by searching for Hortweek on your preferred podcast provider.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ??
TREE FRONTIERS NEWS
Merry Christmas from Tree Frontiers
From the team here, we wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.?Please note that our office will be closed from 20th December to 6th January. If there is anything urgent during this period please email: [email protected]?
Tree Frontiers were part of a wider team involved in the redevelopment of OXFORD PREPARATORY HIGH SCHOOL INC . Following our concerns regarding damage to the rooting environment of a prominent tree, the team was able to utilise our expertise and alter the proposed plans in order to retain and protect this important specimen. Find out more about the fortunate discovery that was made during our investigative works.
Tree of the month
This month we are cheating slightly and not featuring a tree, but rather a seasonal?favourite which has a reputation for being harmful to trees - a reputation which is completely undeserved. Find out why here!