About the strategy
We are consulting on the changes we propose to make to our Tree Strategy. The strategy sets out the overall approach to managing trees in the city. It will also be used as best practice to influence private land owners to look after and encourage planting on private land as well as managing trees on council land. Having an up-to-date Tree Strategy will help to ensure we meet our statutory biodiversity obligations and support our efforts to maximise the wide range of benefits trees can deliver in terms of health, amenity, climate change and water management. Please click on the link for the strategy: Draft update on existing tree strategy
What we want you to do
We’d welcome your views on the revised draft strategy. We intend to use the feedback we receive during the consultation process to inform the final version of the strategy, which we will ask Cabinet to endorse with a view to adopting it from 1 April 2019. If you need this information in a different format, such as large print, please contact us at: letstalk@newcastle.gov.uk. You can also contact us at this email address if you have any questions about this. Please give us your views by 14 December. We will let you know what we find out by publishing the findings here on Let's talk Newcastle Online. Thank you for giving us your views.
Additional Information
The strategy is in three parts.
1) Tree Policy
This sets out our strategic objective to care for the tree stock in the city as well as increasing the number and types of trees we have. The policy makes a commitment to increase the City’s tree canopy cover from the existing baseline of 18.1% to 20% by 2050. To put this in context if we were looking at increasing the number of trees in the city (which does not necessarily equate to canopy cover) it would mean planting around an additional 19,000 trees. The policy sets out the benefits of having a thriving tree population as well as the issues affecting this. It also sets out how we will manage our own trees and hedges
2) Tree Management Guidelines
These describe in broad terms where we will consider pruning, felling or other forms of tree management work for our own trees which will be carried out by the Arbor Team in Operations Division. Residents raising tree-related queries via the Contact Centre or website will be signposted to this document.
3) Tree Risk Management Plan
This sets out our approach to managing the risks imposed by our own trees as well as privately owned trees which may impact on open space. It explains how inspection regimes will be based on zoning trees into categories determined by levels of risk. It is important to have such a document to mitigate civil law litigation. ‘Critical friends’ inc the Woodland Trust, have already had sight of the reviewed strategy and their comments incorporated into the draft document. A tree planting plan is currently being drawn up. This will be publicised when it is complete. About Supplementary Planning Document Consultation The strategy will be supported by a Tree, Landscape and Development Supplementary Planning Document which sets out developers’ responsibilities regarding existing and new trees and landscaping within planning application. This is currently published for public consultation, details of which can be accessed via this link: Planning for the future
