Shoots start to grow on woodland idea

A new wood is to be created in South Holland after it was announced the district has the least tree coverage in the entire country.

Back in November 2019, The Voice reported that the leader of South Holland District Council Lord Gary Porter was working with the Woodland Trust and looking to create a wood in every town and village in the area.

Now the first one, Belnie Meadows, is set to be created near the A16 at Surfleet.

“It’s a big chunk of land, about two acres worth, and we’re currently working with the Woodland Trust on the final designs to make it a great place to relax and walk around,” Coun Porter (pictured) said. “I’m really glad it’s coming to fruition after long delays due to COVID-19 and other issues.

“It plays into a whole host of things we’re looking to improve in the area including biodiversity and mental health.

“The intention is that it will be full of the saplings of ancient trees we’re looking to use and then the saplings of those will help populate other woods. It’s all being done with the biodiversity of the area being in mind.

“Ideally it will inspire more land owners to come forward and say we could have woodland on my land and then we’d look to work with the Woodland Trust to make it happen.”

Coun Rodney Grocock, the council’s portfolio holder for assets and planning said the land had been purchased for “around £70,000”.

“We know we don’t have enough woodland and green spaces in South Holland,” he said. “It will be brilliant for the area’s flowers and fauna.

“There’s also a shed in the middle of the site and ideally we’d like to spend a bit of money on making that into some kind of premises that could be used for students to have trips out there.

“These things are all many, many years in the future though.”

It comes as South Holland was named as having the lowest tree coverage in the whole of England with just 2.2 per cent coverage.

Analysis from the environmental group Friends of the Earth has found that lower-income areas tending to have far few trees than wealthy ones.

Nearly half of all neighbourhoods in the county have less than ten per cent of tree cover, although the government aims to increase tree cover to 16.5 per cent by 2050 under their decarbonisation plans.

Surrey Heath in Surrey took the crown and was ranked the highest with 36.1 per cent.

In response a spokesman for the South and East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership, which South Holland has signed up to, said: ““The characteristics of the Fenland have always been predominantly agricultural land to feed our nation.

“Agricultural hedges, drains and dykes, particularly in South Holland, also play a huge part for biodiversity.

“The S&ELCP five-year Tree and Hedgerow strategy, launched last summer, sets out how we intend to manage, plant and promote trees and hedgerows across the sub-region.

“This includes taking an innovative and consistent approach to ensuring important trees and landscapes are looked after as well as ensuring that Local Plans, Neighbourhood Plans and other strategic documents contain strong policies to enhance landscaping schemes.

“In both South Holland and Boston with partners, community orchards have and continued to be created including Casswell Drive in Quadring.”