UK to plant 44,000 more large trees in urban areas

The United Kingdom will be planting 44,000 more large trees in its towns and cities over a two-year period. Specifically, the trees will be planted near health care centers and schools and in areas with higher social deprivation but fewer trees.

The country’s Defra and the Forestry Commission made the announcement on Sunday, saying the Urban Tree Challenge Fund has re-opened for applications to support the planting and establishment of the trees. The applications will close at 23:59 BST on July 25.

The fund first opened in 2019 and has held two rounds of funding since then. The second one was intended to be the final round, but the fund has been re-opened a third time.

The first two rounds of the funding are going to help plant a total of up to 134,000 new trees in the urban UK. With 44k additional trees that will be planted supported by the fund’s third round, the total number of the trees will rise to up to 178,000.

“I am delighted to announce the reopening of this hugely successful fund, made possible by £6 million from our Nature for Climate Fund,” said Forestry Ministry Lord Goldsmith. “Ahead of our forthcoming ambitious action plan for trees, woodland and forestry, and to complement our manifesto ambition to have every new street lined with trees, the Urban Tree Challenge Fund provides a fantastic example of how trees can be planted, managed and enjoyed to provide the greatest impact – in areas where they are needed most.”

In the first and the second rounds of funding, £10 million were awarded to more than 63 projects. The grants will finance the first three years of the care for trees as well as the plantation.

The fund’s third round is open to both individual and block bid applications. A block bid is for organizations that can commit to several projects that are either geographically dispersed or centered in one area.

“The guideline for block bids is a minimum UTCF funding requirement of £250,000,” says the Guidance for the fund. “Individual applications are for smaller, focused areas of planting undertaken by small organisations or community groups. These individual applications will need a minimum UTCF funding requirement of £10,000 up to a maximum of £30,000.”

It also says, “The fund provides 50% of published standard costs for planting and establishment. The remaining costs of planting and establishing trees supported under the UTCF must be met through match funding, either in the form of money or labour.”

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