A £53m fund for urban and rural tree planting has been released by the Government.

By planting trees in urban areas such as streets, parks and places close to where people live and work, not only will biodiversity be enhanced, but a degree of shade and cooling can be achieved. In cities, trees on streets can reduce air temperatures by as much as 4C, making heatwaves more bearable. One mature tree can also intercept over 15,000 litres of rainwater a year reducing flood and water run-off risks during storms.

A further £26mfor Mayors and local authorities will help deliver nature recovery in their areas bring the total funding to £79m.

The Environment Secretary announced that £53m will be invested between April 2027 and March 2030 to plant up to 500,000 new trees and will be available for organisations in England to carry out urban, peri-urban and rural tree planting projects that sit outside of the Government’s larger woodland creation offers.

The £26 million funding will be shared across 48 responsible authorities (worth around £185,000 per authority per year). This year’s funding has already been handed to the authorities that have published their strategy.

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