Case study: Local Sustainable Transport Fund Street tree planting to enhance neighbourhoods with low tree cover and high levels of deprivation. TOTAL VALUE OF PROGRAMME £0.5M ADDED VALUE THROUGH LSTF £276,000 LOCATION SEFTON, MERSEYSIDE PROGRAMME SETTING THE SCENE FOR GROWTH Map: © Crown Copyright and database right 2013 Ordnance Survey 100031461 2 Photo by Monty Rakusen Funded by the Department for Transport, the Local Sustainable Transport Fund (LSTF) 2012-2015 has awarded almost £25 million to Merseyside to deliver sustainable travel solutions that support economic growth while reducing carbon emissions. As part of this The Mersey Forest has secured funding to plant street trees and other greenery along a total of 22km of “linking routes”. The street trees will provide a host of benefits to the areas where they are planted - encouraging residents to spend more time outside, improving air quality, and encouraging active travel. They will have an important role in boosting the local economy by improving the attractiveness of the area, ensuring investor and buyer confidence and leading to jobs. This booklet showcases some of the transformation that has already taken place in Merseyside and further improvements we will carry out through LSTF. Bootle, Litherland and Seaforth, Sefton 4 Sutton Manor, St.Helens 5 Northwood and Kirkby, Knowsley 6 Birkenhead, Wirral 7 3 Photos by Monty Rakusen Bootle, Litherland and Seaforth Forest Green Streets projects. The people to get outdoors and enjoy BACKGROUND dramatic transformation in the look exercise, and also improve air The towns of Bootle, Litherland and feel of the neighbourhood as quality. and Seaforth, in South Sefton, are a result of this work provided some in areas with low tree cover and of the inspiration for further tree high levels of multiple deprivation. planting there. FUNDING Bootle and Litherland are currently Section 106 contributions from subject to the process of housing Over the next year, additional nearby developments were secured renewal, with some houses being routes will be greened in South for this project by Sefton Council. demolished and new multi- Sefton as part of LSTF. occupancy and mixed tenancy Match funding of £68,000 was Linear tree planting helps link areas properties being created. Seaforth, provided by the Merseyside Local of green space and walking and meanwhile, is a relatively isolated Sustainable Transport Fund, part- cycling routes between residential community with poor sustainable funded by the Department of areas, and places of employment, travel routes and low levels of green Transport through Merseytravel. training, and education. Street trees infrastructure. also make areas look more affluent, encouraging further investment in PLANTING housing, business and jobs. Over 200 street trees have been planted in Seaforth, Litherland and The trees promote improved health Bootle through previous Mersey and wellbeing by encouraging Photos by Mccoy Wynne St Helens Lea Green Industrial Estate, investment outlook for the local Lea BACKGROUND encouraging links between Green Industrial Park. Four Acre and Sutton Manor are employment opportunities here, located in south St.Helens. The area housing in Sutton Manor, and was once the location of several green space in Bold Forest Park. FUNDING large collieries, which closed over As part of the initial planting in the last 20 years. The semi rural area the lead into this programme, remains largely the subject of social BENEFITS contributory funding came from and economic deprivation. Our work at Four Acre and Sutton Forestry Commission’s Setting the Manor will bring attractive greenery Scene for Growth programme, to an area previously lacking trees funded by the Department of PLANTING and high quality green space. Business, Innovation and Skills, The Mersey Forest team has worked with additional funding provided extensively in the area already As a result the area will become a by St. Helens Council, Bold Ward to create a cluster of community more pleasant place for walking Committee, Re:New St.Helens, and woodlands and green spaces and cycling. Cory Environmental Trust. known as Bold Forest Park, and has Funding for the current project also previously planted street trees Improving the local environment is provided by Merseyside Local in residential areas and along key will also encourage more visitors Sustainable Transport Fund, part- transport routes. to the area and inward investment funded by the Department of in new mixed tenure housing stock Transport through Merseytravel. To continue this positive trend, by developers and social housing we will continue to green areas providers. Other economic benefits of St.Helens as part of LSTF. have been secured, including a 5 In particular, we will focus on raised profile and an improved Photos by Mccoy Wynne Northwood and Kirkby Mersey Forest locally, including the health of local people and BACKGROUND the transformation of one of enhance the area, making it a more The Northwood and Kirkby area Northwood’s larger under-used desirable place to live and work. of Knowsley has lacked significant green spaces, now known as numbers of street trees, and Northwood Forest Hills, which was has limited green space. It was completed in September 2012. FUNDING therefore identified as a priority As part of the initial planting in area for green infrastructure The Mersey Forest worked closely the lead into this programme, developments. Although the area with the local community to ensure contributory funding came from suffers from significant economic they fully supported the street tree Forestry Commission’s Setting the and social disadvantage, our project, and provided residents Scene for Growth programme, consultation showed that there is a with a number of opportunities to funded by the Department for strong community spirit and sense shape the plans. The consultation Business, Innovation and Skills of local pride. showed strong support for the (BIS), with additional funding proposals, including comments provided by Knowsley Housing that street trees would ‘bring the Trust, Knowsley Council, and PLANTING community together’ and give the the government’s Big Tree Plant Over the course of two phases, streets a ‘healthier look and feel’. project. The Mersey Forest planted 210 routeway residential and green We are continuing to green key Building on this investment, space trees in Northwood. Planting transport routes throughout Kirkby, additional street greening is now took place in early 2011 and the through the LSTF programme, in taking place as part of the Local late winter of 2012. The work order to encourage sustainable Sustainable Transport Fund, part- complemented other landscaping travel to work, training and funded by the Department for improvements carried out by The education. This will help to improve Transport through Merseytravel. Photos by Mccoy Wynne Birkenhead duration of the project. These trees areas of employment, training BACKGROUND are helping to encourage active and education. The tree planting The areas of Birkenhead and travel over 8km of routes. in this area has set the scene for Bidston have a strong association future investment through the with ship-building and heavy Residents have been closely Wirral Waters vision, which is part of industry, concentrated around consulted throughout the project, Atlantic Gateway, a scheme which the docklands area now known as with 73% of residents saying that will regenerate inner Wirral and the Wirral Waters. Industrial decline, street trees would encourage them Liverpool City Region to create over rising unemployment and high to walk and cycle more in the 20,000 new jobs and 14,000 new levels of deprivation have blighted Wirral. Many have been involved in homes over 30 years. the area. This, coupled with housing community tree planting days, and market failure and increasing a number have signed “pledges” to Through improvements to demolitions, residents have had walk, cycle and get outdoors more Ilchester Park, the green space little access to high quality green in the Wirral. in the area will be better used space close to their homes, and by local people and will help to there is little street greenery. A community celebration event combat various health problems, was held in summer 2013. The including depression, obesity and popularity of this event led to a social isolation. By linking this PLANTING bid for further funding to improve space to transport hubs such as The Mersey Forest have previously an important underutilised green railway stations, local people will worked in Wirral to plant a number space in the centre of North be encouraged to cycle or walk to of street trees along residential Birkenhead, Ilchester Park. their destination, creating a host of streets. The positive response from health benefits. the community and the impact of these trees on the landscape BENEFITS has led to the team and other The Mersey Forest’s work in FUNDING partners securing more funding to Birkenhead has significantly Funding for the current project set the scene for the Wirral Waters increased the tree cover in this comes from the Local Sustainable investment in Birkenhead between area, transforming it from grey Transport Fund, part-funded by the 2012-2015.During the first year, to green. Linear planting helps Department of Transport through 370 street trees were planted, with to link areas of green space and Merseytravel. a7 target of 1000 trees over the walking and cycling routes with ALL THESE PROJECTS ARE PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY... SPARK SOME IDEAS? GET IN TOUCH... Ben Greenaway [email protected] 01925 816217 | merseyforest.org.uk 8.