WREXHAM TREE & Woodland Strategy 2016–2026 A Strategy for the Sustainable Management, Protection and Enhancement of Wrexham County Borough’s Tree Population FOREWARD Trees define the landscape; they provide shelter in the winter and shade during the summer. They provide homes for wildlife and help improve the quality of the air we breathe. They can help reduce the noise and other such day to day stresses of the urban environment and can even add value to houses and neighbourhoods. We need to protect and care for our trees to ensure they are safe for the people that live near them. If appropriate, the protection we provide for our own trees may be extended to include privately owned, yet valued trees through other processes such as Tree Preservation Orders, designated Conservation Areas and the application of appropriate conditions following consent for planning development. We are fortunate in Wrexham to have large areas of woodland such as the Country Parks, which are freely accessible to walk in and enjoy, but such areas and the individual trees within them provide many more benefits above and beyond recreational uses. With changes to our climate, increases in urban temperatures and increasing risks of flooding, trees have an important role in helping protect our communities and in reducing the potential dramatic effects of climate change. We all need to plant more trees in and around Wrexham and we need to plant the right quantity of trees in the right places. Through good management of trees and appropriate protection along with the support of the people and residents that live near them, the trees of Wrexham stand a better chance of not only surviving, but thriving into the future. This strategy puts forward a long term plan to protect and care for trees and woodlands within the County Borough over the next ten years. It was formally approved by Wrexham County Borough Council in February 2016. We are proud of the strategy we have produced and the public consultation shows very strong support for trees in our communities. In ten years’ time, we hope that Wrexham will be a greener place, with more trees across the streets and public open spaces, with well cared for public woodlands. Councillor David A Bithell, Lead Member for Place - Environment and Transport Councillor David Kelly, Lead Member for Place - Planning and Public Protection 2 Wrexham Tree and Woodland Strategy 2016-2026 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Trees, especially those in urban settings, are more than just nice things to look at. They are an essential green infrastructure asset. They provide us with important services such as reducing air pollution and help control flooding by intercepting rainfall, capture and store carbon, one of the main causes of climate change, and they provide food and habitat for wildlife, including birds and bees. They are essential for human health and wellbeing and help improve community social cohesion. Utilising the detailed information from the i –Tree Eco Study, the Strategy highlights the need to protect existing large trees, ensure that when planting new trees, in the right locations, larger specimens are used that grow into larger trees and a variety of species are planted to help protect against pests and diseases. The Strategy sets out ambitious targets to increase the urban tree cover in the County Borough by 20% across the ten year plan, to help in terms of climate change, pollution, flooding and biodiversity. This will be achieved by ensuring the correct policies are in place in terms of planning and local development, targeted work will be undertaken to improve the wards with the lowest tree cover and the opportunity for grant aid will be utilised. Council owned trees will be managed appropriately and according to defined policies and where possible grant aid will be used to manage and improve existing public woodland. The ecosystem services provided by Wrexham County Borough’s urban trees are worth more than £1.2 million per year (Forest Research, 2014) Wrexham Tree and Woodland Strategy 2016-2026 3 CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND .................................... 6 1.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 6 1.2 Purpose of the Strategy ..................................................................................................... 7 1.3 Strategy Timescales & Structure ........................................................................................ 7 1.4 Aim.................................................................................................................................... 7 1.5 Objectives ......................................................................................................................... 8 1.6 Policy Context ................................................................................................................... 8 1.7 Geographical Context ...................................................................................................... 12 1.8 Wrexham i-Tree Eco Project ............................................................................................ 13 1.9 Tree Canopy Cover in the County Borough ...................................................................... 14 2 BENEFITS OF TREES ............................................................. 15 2.1 Overview ......................................................................................................................... 15 2.2 Environmental Benefits ................................................................................................... 16 2.3 Economic Benefits ........................................................................................................... 17 2.4 Social Benefits ................................................................................................................. 17 3 ISSUES ................................................................................. 19 3.1 The Case for Increased Urban Tree Canopy Cover ........................................................... 19 3.2 The Case for Large Trees ................................................................................................. 21 3.3 The Case for Orchards ..................................................................................................... 22 3.4 Trees of Special Interest (Notable, Veteran & Ancient Trees) .......................................... 23 3.5 Tree Health, Pests & Diseases & Biosecurity .................................................................... 25 3.6 Tree Population Resilience & Diversity ............................................................................ 27 3.7 The Impacts of Development and Construction ............................................................... 31 3.8 Development & planting & canopy cover ........................................................................ 32 3.9 Protected Trees ............................................................................................................... 33 3.10 Tree Preservation Orders ................................................................................................ 33 3.11 Trees in Conservation Areas ............................................................................................ 34 3.12 Trees Protected by Planning Conditions .......................................................................... 35 3.13 Trees Protected by the Forestry Act ................................................................................ 35 3.14 Woodlands ...................................................................................................................... 35 3.15 Street Trees ..................................................................................................................... 36 3.16 Climate Change & Environmental Issues .......................................................................... 37 3.17 Climate Change Impacts on trees .................................................................................... 39 3.18 Wildlife & Biodiversity ..................................................................................................... 40 3.19 Management Issues ........................................................................................................ 50 3.20 Resourcing, Funding & Investment.................................................................................. 51 3.21 Monitoring and Review ................................................................................................... 53 4 MANAGEMENT, IMPLEMENTATION & MONITORING ........ 60 4.1 2016-2021 Five Year Management Action Plan................................................................ 60 4 Wrexham Tree and Woodland Strategy 2016-2026 APPENDICES.................................................................................72 Appendix 1 – Legislation, Policy & Guidance Context ....................................................................73 Appendix 2 - Wrexham County Borough Council Tree Policies (Council owned Trees)...................81 Appendix 3 – Wrexham i-Tree Eco Project .................................................................................... 95 Appendix 4 – Tree Cover in Wales’ Towns and Cities Study...........................................................99 Appendix 5 - Consultation on the Strategy .................................................................................