West Northamptonshire Council Launch their New Tree and Woods Strategy
Over the past 18 months, Woodland Dwelling has had the incredible opportunity to collaborate with West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) on a major environmental initiative—the development and launch of the Council’s new Tree and Woods Strategy. This project has been a deeply rewarding experience and incredible journey working with colleagues at WNC to establish the vision and a commitment to a greener, more resilient future for West Northamptonshire.
Working with the Council, we’ve created a strategy with bold goals and a comprehensive action plan to enhance the health of West Northamptonshire’s trees, woods, and green spaces over the next 20 years.
A Vision for the Future
The Tree and Woods Strategy sets out a powerful vision: to increase the tree canopy cover in West Northamptonshire from its current 9% to 20% by 2045. This ambitious target is essential for improving air quality, reducing carbon emissions, and providing better green spaces for wildlife and the community. However, this isn’t just about planting more trees—it's about creating a long-term, sustainable plan to manage and care for existing trees and woodland areas, ensuring their growth and resilience as West Northamptonshire continues to develop.
The Start of the Process: Tree Canopy Assessment
To develop the Tree and Woods Strategy we began with a crucial first step: understanding the current tree cover in the region, as well as the potential for increasing canopy cover. To do this, we carried out a detailed tree canopy assessment using TreePlotter Canopy software. This powerful tool enabled us to map and analyse the existing canopy cover across West Northamptonshire, as well as to remove all land classifications that would be unsuitable for planting trees in future, such as waterways, roads, and high-grade agricultural land. This left only the total possible planting area in which it would be suitable to plant trees in future. You can explore the WNC canopy map here.
The canopy assessment was vital in providing a clear baseline for the strategy. By understanding existing canopy cover by location, as well as areas of deficiency and constraints to planting more trees, we were able to identify opportunities for increasing canopy cover and areas where targeted intervention could have the most significant impact. This data-driven approach has ensured that the Tree and Woods Strategy is built on a solid foundation, enabling us to set realistic and measurable goals for the future.
Extensive Consultation: Listening to All Voices
One of the most important elements of this process was the extensive consultation process, which involved engaging with a wide range of stakeholders. Over the past year and a half, we reached out to teams within the Council, partner organisations, and local residents to gather diverse insights and ideas.
The consultation process was key in ensuring that the strategy reflects the needs and priorities of the community, as well as the broader environmental goals of West Northamptonshire. It allowed us to address concerns such as the suitability of tree species, accessibility of green spaces, and the social, environmental, and economic benefits of increased tree cover. Listening to local voices made the strategy feel more like a collective effort and I really enjoyed the opportunity to hear the perspectives of a diverse range of local people from West Northamptonshire’s more urban as well as rural areas.
The Strategy: A Guide for Action
The Tree and Woods Strategy is not just a vision; it’s a comprehensive guide for action, with a clear 5-year action plan that will be revised on an ongoing basis. Over the next 20 years, the strategy will focus on:
Increasing canopy cover: The goal is to increase tree canopy cover from 9% to 20% by 2045.
Tree maintenance and management: Ensuring that existing trees and woodlands are well-managed and maintained to remain healthy and resilient.
Collaboration with partners: Working with local communities, environmental organisations, and private sector partners to achieve the strategy’s goals.
Public engagement: Encouraging local involvement in tree planting and maintenance, as well as fostering a broader understanding of the importance of trees for the environment and quality of life.
Tree Strategy Launch in Wootton
On March 4th, the Tree and Woods Strategy was officially launched with a tree planting event in Wootton, Northampton. The event was a wonderful opportunity to put the strategy into action and begin the long-term process of transforming the local landscape.
The event was held in collaboration with the RAIN project, a holistic initiative working to build flood resilience in the Wootton Brook area. This project is not just about flood prevention but also aims to empower local communities by increasing their involvement in shaping their environment.
In this regard, the tree planting event supported two interconnected goals: environmental sustainability and community resilience. By planting trees, we were not only contributing to the region’s canopy cover but also helping to reduce flood risks in the area—trees play a vital role in managing water flow, improving soil quality, and mitigating the effects of heavy rainfall.
The design and planting scheme for the event was led by Woodland Dwelling’s Russell Horsey, whose expertise ensured that the event was aligned with the broader goals of the Tree and Woods Strategy, including engaging local schools and volunteers in the planting event.
The event received great press coverage, highlighting the importance of greening and increasing canopy cover to help alleviate flooding and provide wider environmental benefits, as well as the value and importance of engaging local people. It was an inspiring way to celebrate the launch of the Tree and Woods Strategy and demonstrate our collective commitment to making West Northamptonshire a greener, more resilient place.
Looking Ahead
The journey doesn’t end with the launch of the strategy. The next steps involve continued collaboration, hard work, and determination to meet the targets set out in the Tree and Woods Strategy.
Woodland Dwelling is proud to have played a role in bringing this strategy to life and excited to see its long-term impact.
