A new Tree Strategy for West Northants

In summer 2023, Woodland Dwelling was appointed by West Northamptonshire Council as the lead consultant to work on developing West Northamptonshire’s first ever Tree and Woodland Strategy. 

Having worked with communities in West Northamponshire since 2016 to deliver community tree planting projects with community group Save Our Street Trees, and with Parish Councils including Wootton Parish Council, we were thrilled by the opportunity to get to know West Northamptonshire, it’s communities, and it’s treescape even better.  

There is growing recognition of the long-term benefits that trees can bring to local communities, including the vital role that trees and woodlands play for the wellbeing of local residents, in nature recovery and in helping to address the increasing threats posed by climate change. A Trees and Woodland Strategy is a valuable tool for setting out a strategic vision and action plan and to secure the funding needed to turn that vision into a reality.

Over Autum and Winter 2023/2024 we consulted West Nortamptonshire Council officers and members, parish councils and the wider community across West Northamptonshire’s towns and villages to understand where current opportunities and constraints lie, as much as what the collective vision is for the future. The hundreds of responses we received tell us that West Northamptonshire’s communities and residents care about their local trees and we enjoyed exploring this further at our roadshow public drop in events in March 2024.  It’s always a joy to talk trees with local stakeholders and to understand better the issues that matter most to them.

The Strategy is now in draft and will go out to consultation over the summer months.  Look out for it and share your views!

We can’t wait to launch the strategy with colleagues at West Northamptonshire Council, due to take place in November 2024.