Woodland creation across Kirklees

Tree planting targets

Tree planting is a crucial part of the government's plan to combat climate change. Legally binding government targets to protect our environment, clean up our air and rivers and boost nature were published in January 2023.

Kirklees Council is working towards increasing its tree canopy cover to 21% by 2050. Kirklees' ambition also dovetails with wider council priorities related to the Council Plan 2025-26 and the Climate Emergency, including targets that are detailed under Clean and Green and the Environment Strategy.

Kirklees has a dedicated Woodland Development team that works closely with local communities and volunteers to plant new woodland that will help achieve our local and national canopy cover goals. Further details of the council's pro-active work around woodland creation and management can be found in the Council owned Trees and Woodland Management Policy.

Northern Forest

Launched in 2018, the Northern Forest aims to establish at least 50 million new trees over 25 years across 10,000 square miles of land stretching from Liverpool to Hull. Since the programme started, over 10 million new trees have been established. Working together, the Woodland Trust, the Community Forest Trust and four of the Community Forests in the north of England - Mersey Forest, City of Trees, White Rose Forest and Humber Forest - are bringing the Northern Forest to life.

White Rose Forest

Kirklees Council is a key partner, and the administrative base, of the White Rose Forest , the community forest for North and West Yorkshire, which works in partnership with landowners and communities to increase woodland cover across the region and improve our natural environment. The council's Woodland Development Team works closely with the White Rose Forest to fund woodland creation work across the borough.

Purpose of woodland creation

The planting of trees and creation of woodland provides multiple benefits to an area and the communities that live there, including mitigating the effects of climate change by:

• removing carbon from the air and contributing to long-term carbon storage.
• helping to alleviate flooding by slowing the movement of water through the land.
• improving air quality by taking particulates out of the air we breathe.
• improving water quality by cleaning and filtering water before it reaches water courses.
• increasing connectivity between existing woodlands.
• increasing biodiversity - expanding the variety of habitats, plants and animals, and helping to reverse the national decline.
• providing communities with access to high quality green spaces to promote exercise, recreation and other associated health benefits.
• providing economic benefits - adding trees and woodland helps to transform areas by increasing their attractiveness, making them places that people want to live, work and invest.

What makes a woodland

Woodlands are diverse ecosystems, not just groups of trees and include:

• open spaces
• a range of habitat types
• different layers of vegetation growth including canopy and ground layer
• different types of soil

Choosing a planting site

Specific characteristics of identified land guide where and how new woodland is designed, and the benefits and main purposes that can be achieved by woodland on a site.

When designing new woodlands, as well as climate change mitigation, influencing factors and considerations include:

• geographical location
• existing and surrounding features
• relationship with the landscape topography
• current ecological wildlife value, the existing habitats, plants, and animals, along with the potential range of habitats that could be created
• current land use
• surrounding community and their needs

All woodland creation on Kirklees Council owned land is delivered in line with The UK Forestry Standard, published by the Forestry Commission in line with the Forestry Act 1967.

Volunteer to plant trees

Kirklees Council's Woodland Development Team has been organising volunteer tree planting sessions for the last few years, and wherever possible tries to actively engage volunteers to plant trees. The team has worked with school staff and children, Kirklees Council staff, University of Huddersfield students, charity organisations such as River Holme Connections, The Conservation Volunteers, Colne Valley Tree Society, Support to Recovery, Fresh Futures, Experience Community CIC, and members of the public.

This is what previous volunteers have said about planting trees:

• 'It was lovely to meet people passionate about our environment. The experience was rewarding. I hope to travel to this site in years to come and think 'I helped create this'. It was lovely being out in the fresh air and getting some much needed exercise'.
• 'Good to get out in the fresh air and put the world to rights'.
• 'Just a note to say thank you for a lovely morning. We really enjoyed planting today, what a perfect day for it!' - Holmfirth Junior & Infant School.

Get involved

There are plenty of opportunities to get outside this coming autumn and winter to plant trees at a number of sites in several wards earmarked for new planting and woodland creation.

To find out more about upcoming sessions and to express your interest in volunteering, please visit: Kirklees Council Parks and Greenspaces

For further information or if you have any specific questions regarding tree planting: