博鱼体育集团

Enfield has big green ambitions. The north London borough is aiming to plant 100,000 trees by 2022, a goal that would increase the number of trees in the borough by a remarkable 35%, according to 博鱼体育集团 Frank鈥檚 geospatial analysis of Bluesky International data. In order to succeed, the council is seeking to bring together a large tapestry of stakeholders in pursuit of a common goal.

The council鈥檚 long-term vision 鈥渋s to become the greenest borough in London at the heart of the capital鈥檚 new national park鈥�, according to the borough鈥檚 draft strategy to maintain and enhance its parks, rivers, lakes, gardens and woodlands, published in November 2020. 鈥淥ver the next ten years, we aim to create more publicly accessible green spaces and areas of woodland than anywhere else in London.鈥�

Enfield鈥檚 plan is perhaps the most ambitious of any local authority. However, its strategy fits with a wider national push to radically increase tree planting as part of a range of measures aimed at tackling climate change. The UK鈥檚 independent advisor, the Climate Change Committee, has recommended the nation should be aiming to plant around 30,000 hectares of new woodland in the UK every year until 2050, equivalent to nearly a million hectares over the next 30 years.The potential rewards are huge: doing so could absorb approximately 10% of residual greenhouse gas emissions.

For Enfield, the project started with more simple ambitions 鈥� as a way to better manage flood risk, which has created problems in the borough. Rain that settles on leaves evaporates, so less water reaches the ground. The water that does reach the ground does so more slowly through tree cover as rainfall is absorbed into the trees鈥� structure and root system. Because much of the borough鈥檚 potential tree-planting land is part of its tenanted farms鈥� estate, the council asked 博鱼体育集团 Frank for help.

鈥淭hat sets the tone, because we know the portfolio in great detail as we manage the existing tenancies,鈥� says James Shepherd of 博鱼体育集团 Frank鈥檚 Rural Asset Management team. 鈥淭he big priority was getting the team the land to work with, because though the borough owns it, they didn鈥檛 have the automatic right to use it because it was tenanted.鈥�

The tree planting plan began to expand in 2019, when Enfield Council declared a climate emergency. In July 2020 the council published its climate emergency action plan, by which point its ambitions had grown to planting 100,000 trees by 2022.

The project reached such a scale that it required a council cabinet decision, which was informed by 博鱼体育集团 Frank鈥檚 advice outlining the impact of the project on council assets. This included the income receivable, the capital value of the portfolio, plus strategies for engaging with tenants and stakeholders to minimise disruption.

Crucial funding also arrived from the Mayor of London, Enfield Council and the Forestry Commission. In December, the Enfield Chase Woodland Restoration Project was also granted £679,000 by Defra, as one of the first environmental projects awarded a grant from the £80 million Green Recovery Challenge Fund.

鈥淔unding enabled us to approach tenants with a more attractive offer,鈥� says James. 鈥淓ven so, the process remained complex, and included identifying the right approach for each area of the portfolio, depending on the nature of the tenancy.鈥�

Using the reclaimed land, the council has planted 50,000 trees in the last 18 months and is well on the way to hitting its targets. The planting is being delivered by volunteers in partnership with Thames21.

The project will make 鈥渁 massive contribution to Enfield Council鈥檚 plans to make the borough net carbon neutral by 2040,鈥� according to Enfield Council鈥檚 Deputy Leader, Councillor Ian Barnes.

Enfield is now a trailblazer in rewilding and tree planting. The successful model is likely to be adopted by other councils, many of which are adopting ambitious net zero targets between 2030 and 2050.

鈥淢ore councils are starting to wake up to the opportunity, because they have the funds and the overarching need and desire to use them politically to deliver more public good,鈥� says James. 鈥淎nd this isn鈥檛 just about tree planting. Rather, it鈥檚 about achieving multiple public goods, such as habitat creation, flood management, offsetting carbon and utilising land so it can be enjoyed and appreciated by the community.鈥�

Enfield has big green ambitions. The north London borough is aiming to plant 100,000 trees by 2022, a goal that would increase the number of trees in the borough by a remarkable 35%, according to 博鱼体育集团 Frank鈥檚 geospatial analysis of Bluesky International data. In order to succeed, the council is seeking to bring together a large tapestry of stakeholders in pursuit of a common goal.

The council鈥檚 long-term vision 鈥渋s to become the greenest borough in London at the heart of the capital鈥檚 new national park鈥�, according to the borough鈥檚 draft strategy to maintain and enhance its parks, rivers, lakes, gardens and woodlands, published in November 2020. 鈥淥ver the next ten years, we aim to create more publicly accessible green spaces and areas of woodland than anywhere else in London.鈥�

Enfield鈥檚 plan is perhaps the most ambitious of any local authority. However, its strategy fits with a wider national push to radically increase tree planting as part of a range of measures aimed at tackling climate change. The UK鈥檚 independent advisor, the Climate Change Committee, has recommended the nation should be aiming to plant around 30,000 hectares of new woodland in the UK every year until 2050, equivalent to nearly a million hectares over the next 30 years.The potential rewards are huge: doing so could absorb approximately 10% of residual greenhouse gas emissions.

For Enfield, the project started with more simple ambitions 鈥� as a way to better manage flood risk, which has created problems in the borough. Rain that settles on leaves evaporates, so less water reaches the ground. The water that does reach the ground does so more slowly through tree cover as rainfall is absorbed into the trees鈥� structure and root system. Because much of the borough鈥檚 potential tree-planting land is part of its tenanted farms鈥� estate, the council asked 博鱼体育集团 Frank for help.

鈥淭hat sets the tone, because we know the portfolio in great detail as we manage the existing tenancies,鈥� says James Shepherd of 博鱼体育集团 Frank鈥檚 Rural Asset Management team. 鈥淭he big priority was getting the team the land to work with, because though the borough owns it, they didn鈥檛 have the automatic right to use it because it was tenanted.鈥�

The tree planting plan began to expand in 2019, when Enfield Council declared a climate emergency. In July 2020 the council published its climate emergency action plan, by which point its ambitions had grown to planting 100,000 trees by 2022.

The project reached such a scale that it required a council cabinet decision, which was informed by 博鱼体育集团 Frank鈥檚 advice outlining the impact of the project on council assets. This included the income receivable, the capital value of the portfolio, plus strategies for engaging with tenants and stakeholders to minimise disruption.

Crucial funding also arrived from the Mayor of London, Enfield Council and the Forestry Commission. In December, the Enfield Chase Woodland Restoration Project was also granted £679,000 by Defra, as one of the first environmental projects awarded a grant from the £80 million Green Recovery Challenge Fund.

鈥淔unding enabled us to approach tenants with a more attractive offer,鈥� says James. 鈥淓ven so, the process remained complex, and included identifying the right approach for each area of the portfolio, depending on the nature of the tenancy.鈥�

Using the reclaimed land, the council has planted 50,000 trees in the last 18 months and is well on the way to hitting its targets. The planting is being delivered by volunteers in partnership with Thames21.

The project will make 鈥渁 massive contribution to Enfield Council鈥檚 plans to make the borough net carbon neutral by 2040,鈥� according to Enfield Council鈥檚 Deputy Leader, Councillor Ian Barnes.

Enfield is now a trailblazer in rewilding and tree planting. The successful model is likely to be adopted by other councils, many of which are adopting ambitious net zero targets between 2030 and 2050.

鈥淢ore councils are starting to wake up to the opportunity, because they have the funds and the overarching need and desire to use them politically to deliver more public good,鈥� says James. 鈥淎nd this isn鈥檛 just about tree planting. Rather, it鈥檚 about achieving multiple public goods, such as habitat creation, flood management, offsetting carbon and utilising land so it can be enjoyed and appreciated by the community.鈥�