Report of the Strategic Director, Growth and Development

A refreshed Tree and Woodland Action Plan has been developed in the context of the adopted Green and Blue Infrastructure (G&BI) Strategy. This was reported to the Environment and Climate Change Scrutiny Committee and was agreed in March 2023.

This report sets out the draft Tree and Woodland Action Plan and highlights the key actions contained within it. It provides a summary of key evidence and engagement with partners to date and how public consultation will further help to shape the Action Plan before its final approval in early 2024.

The Committee considered the report of Strategic Director, Growth and Development

that described that a refreshed Tree and Woodland Action Plan (TAWAP) had been developed in the context of the adopted Green and Blue Infrastructure (G&BI) Strategy. This had been reported to the Environment and Climate Change Scrutiny Committee and was agreed in March 2023.

Key points and themes in the report included:

·         Providing an introduction and background, noting that the report set out how the TAWAP was being updated in line with best practice and our most recent evidence;

·         The Headline Actions had been revisited and streamlined down from 21 to 16 across the four key objectives as this would help provide clarity, maximise their effectiveness and avoid duplication;

·         Describing the vision and objectives of the TAWAP;

·         Information in relation to the governance and leadership arrangements;

·         Describing how a refreshed Tree Action Plan would sit with the G&BI Strategy;

·         Noting that as a key part of delivering the City’s G&BI Strategy, the TAWAP benefited from a strong cohort of supportive partners, both internal to the Council and externally;

·         Discussion of the challenges and opportunities;

·         Delivery of the TAWAP noting that the TAWAP would be updated and reported on annually as part of the wider Green & Blue Infrastructure Implementation Plan;

·         Discussion of funding; and

·         Next steps.

Some of the key points that arose from the Committee’s discussions were:

·         Noting that the report stated that ‘The TAWAP will allow a focus to be given to trees, helping to ensure that they will continue to be planted in Manchester selectively and appropriately, with due regard given to location, landscape character and sustainability’, how would these locations be identified;

·         Expressing the need for community and resident involvement in these decisions;

·         Developers needed to be reminded of their responsibilities in relation to greening and tree management;

·         What was the approach to ‘difficult to plant’ areas;

·         What was the approach to the size and types of trees to be planted; and

·         Further information was sought on the duration of the draft Action Plan public consultation.

In presenting the report to the Committee the Director of Planning, Building Control and Licensing paid tribute to her team for producing the detailed report and bringing forward the Action Plan, stating that the Manchester was pioneering on this work and approach.

The Senior Policy Officer advised that intelligence mapping and consideration of a neighbourhood focus would inform the correct location for future planting of trees, and this included community engagement activities on this specific subject. With reference to other landowners, he commented that the principles of tree management could be accessed and used by all and was a useful resource. He further commented that the public consultation would commence following this meeting and noted the views of the Committee. This would be an 8 week online public consultation, using the same questions that were asked during the 2017, online public consultation as this would provide useful benchmarking information. He stated that a communications campaign would also be used to promote this consultation, in addition to promoting this at appropriate events across the city.

The Senior Policy Officer stated that the approach in Manchester was to plant the correct tree in the correct location, and careful consideration needed to be given to this. He further commented that it was important to recognise that each ward was different, and a ‘one size fits all’ approach would not be appropriate. He said this work would be delivered in collaboration with different Council Departments and different partners across the city.

The Director of Planning, Building Control and Licensing said that with the support of City of Trees they were seeking to develop a document that would be accessible to all, including developers and relevant stakeholders that would address the issue of difficult to plant areas. This resource would provide information and examples of good practice and technical information. She stated that it would demonstrate the ‘art of the possible’ and tackle the myth that nothing could be done.

The Chair in concluding this item stated that the Committee endorsed the commencement of the draft Action Plan public consultation. She further commented that those areas with fewer trees should be prioritised, particularly when engaging with developers, noting the importance of trees and the shade they provided during periods of extreme heat that were a consequence of climate change.

Decision

To note the report.