A TRAFFORD Councillor has expressed delight that Greater Manchester has secured funding for thousands of new trees to be planted as part of the Government’s Urban Tree Challenge Fund.

Cllr Stephen Adshead was speaking after the region was awarded cash to fund the planting of trees in urban areas including Trafford, where 162 new trees are being planted, starting in Old Trafford and Stretford. The work involved City of Trees working with the council’s Tree Unit, Amey Greenspace Project Officers and local community groups.

The Urban Tree Challenge Fund (UTCF) is a £10 million government fund for planting both large and small trees in and around towns and cities in England, being delivered by The Forestry Commission as part of their work to expand woodland and tree cover across England. This work forms part of The Northern Forest, an ambitious initiative to plant 50 million trees, stretching from Liverpool to Hull, within 25 years.

City of Trees has been co-ordinating the Urban Tree Challenge bid and implementation for Greater Manchester in partnership with the ten districts and registered housing providers. In total over 2,500 trees will be planted across the city region including 650 small sapling trees and crucially just over 1,900 large, high impact trees, contributing to Greater Manchester’s 5 Year Environment Plan (2019-2024) and its vision of a clean, carbon neutral, climate resilient city region with a thriving natural environment.

Cllr Adshead, Trafford Council’s Executive Member for Environment, Air Quality and Climate Change, said: “This is fantastic news for everyone in the region and I am delighted that some of these trees will be planted in the Stretford area. Trees are not only beautiful to look at but are of vital importance to our environment. They help in the battle against climate change and provide a massive boost to those living in urban areas.”