Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make it his policy to replace a tree with canopy cover equivalence rather than just a tree when trees are felled as part of development and infrastructure projects; and what recent estimate he has made of the change in canopy cover as a result of those projects.

The Environment Act 2021 requires new developments and infrastructure projects to achieve at least a 10% measurable biodiversity net gain ensuring that nature, including woodlands, will be retained and enhanced in the built environment. Through Biodiversity Net Gain, we will see additional protections for important habitats such as native woodlands.

Our proposed statutory targets, set through the powers of the Environment Act, include one for trees and woodland. The consultation on these proposals closed on 27 June 2022 and we are now reflecting on the responses. We propose a target to increase England’s woodland cover and tree canopy cover outside woodland from 14.5% to 17.5% by 2050. This metric would account for canopy loss as well as tree planting. The delivery of this target will be supported by the actions we are taking now through the England Trees Action Plan.

We also want to ensure our ancient woodlands are adequately protected, the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) states that development resulting in the loss or deterioration of irreplaceable habitats (such as ancient woodland and ancient or veteran trees) should be refused, unless there are wholly exceptional reasons, and a suitable compensation strategy exists.

As committed in the England Trees Action plan, the revised NPPF 2021 strengthens the protection of trees and promotes urban tree planting by stating that trees should be incorporated in new developments; all new streets should be tree lined; newly planted trees should be maintained, and trees should be retained wherever possible.