Worcestershire County Council have been successful in securing grant funding through the Local Authority Treescapes Fund (LATF).

What is the LATF?

The grant scheme is aimed at local authorities to increase tree cover outside of woodlands in both rural and urban landscapes. The LATF funding comes from the Government’s £750m Nature for Climate Fund and is administered by the Forestry Commission.  

The funding will be utilised for tree planting and maintenance along the highway network, with newly planted trees scattered throughout the county.

The grant funding specifies new trees are planted in rural settings or where a tree is to be planted in an urban setting, it must replace an existing tree removed in the past 3 years.

Project timeline

The first phase of the project has been completed, with 80 trees planted in the 2023/ 24 planting season. These will now be maintained for 3 years. Around 205 trees are planned for the 2024/ 25 planting season, with onward maintenance until 2028.

Look out to see if a new tree pops up in your area.

Find out more here: Local Authority Treescapes Fund

After submitting our Urban Tree Challenge Fund (UTCF) application in 2024, the highways department was pleased to receive grant funding to plant many trees in urban areas across the county.

What is the UTCF?

The UTCF was set up following the Government's commitment to provide millions of pounds for tree planting across the country. The grant contribution will fund not just the planting of a tree, but just as importantly - 3 years of onward maintenance. This will help ensure the trees thrive and fulfil their potential.

Trees, particularly urban trees, provide a wealth of environmental, social and economic benefits and play a crucial role in climate adaptation. The funding aims for these benefits to be delivered into urban areas where they are most needed, increasing canopy cover across our towns and cities.

UTCF application process

The UTCF is offered on a competitive basis, with applicants only accepted if the self-scoring application meets a set threshold. All planting locations were required to have a minimum of 10 trees, their locations were submitted as part of the application and given a score if:

• in a socially deprived area
• has low or medium canopy cover
• is near to a health care and/ or education facility

Where one or more criteria apply, a greater score is given. Higher-scoring applications are viewed as more favourable by the Forestry Commission when determining application outcomes.

Project aim

A mixture of tree species have been selected across planting locations, species that can withstand current and future environmental pressures while taking into account their surroundings, space available to grow into and the qualities they will provide to the amenity of the surrounding area. This will build towards a more sustainable and resilient tree population.

The project will last until 2028/ 29, by this point these green assets will be independent, providing benefits to local communities for generations.

Project timeline

The first phase of the project is due to be completed by the start of the spring 2025, with the onward maintenance commencing straight after and ending in 2028.

Find out more here: Urban Tree Challenge Fund - GOV.UK