The Big Tree Plant was a Government-sponsored campaign in England in 2010, to promote the planting of trees in neighbourhoods where people lived and worked.[1][2] The national campaign ran over four years from 2011 to 2015 and met its objective to plant one million trees.[3][4]
The Big Tree Plant
Big Tree Plant Campaign Logo
A Government-sponsored tree planting campaign in England overview
Trees planted on Westrigg Road, Carlisle as part of the scheme
The campaign aimed to halt the ongoing decline in urban and semi-urban tree planting in England and was the first such initiative since Plant A Tree In '73.[1][2] The decline was highlighted by a survey of urban trees in England carried out in 2005 (published as the report Trees in Towns II in 2008), which found that there had been a 'big reduction' in urban tree planting (compared to a similar 1992 survey) leading to an 'unsatisfactory age structure' with too few young trees, and which concluded that the issue should be 'urgently addressed'.[5]
In London a separate 2007 report, Chainsaw Massacre, found that there were concerns about planting rates in some boroughs, and that mature broadleaf street trees throughout London were under 'severe threat' due to a mixture of development pressures, reduced expenditure, public apathy and antipathy, and (often unsubstantiated) concerns by insurance companies, solicitors and home-owners over subsidence.[6] Both reports also expressed concern over the practice of planting smaller ornamental species rather than native broadleaf trees such as London plane, lime and oak.
Fundingedit
Pit preparation for a Street Tree in Fitzrovia (Central London) part funded by the scheme.
Funding of £4.2m was to be made available for community, civic and other non-profit groups from April 2011.[7] In addition to covering planting costs, grants could be used for related purposes such as community involvement, site surveys and the provision of expert advice.[2] £4m of the funding allocation was promised by the Forestry Commission[2] through 'efficiency savings and re-prioritisation',[8] while the remaining £200,000 came from the existing London Tree and Woodland Community Grant.[9] The independently chaired Big Tree Plant Grants Panel included representatives from civil society organisations, DEFRA, and the Forestry Commission, and met each spring and summer to award funds.[10]
In advance of the main funding, Keep Britain Tidy - one of the partners supporting the initiative - had already invited applications for planting kits from schools in the Government's Eco-School programme.[11][12]
Criticism and reactionsedit
Alan Titchmarsh plants a tree on Bolsover Street in London part supported by the campaign[13]
The funding arrangements, specifically the fact that the grants would normally only cover up to 75% of the cost of each scheme (although free labour could be offset against this),[14] was criticised by some as favouring better-off over deprived communities.[15] Other projects which coordinated external funding from local stakeholders were more successful.[16]
The government stated that “Seventy percent of the trees in The Big Tree Plant programme were being planted in England’s most deprived areas.”[17][18] The programme was generally well received. 62,336 trees were planted in the Mersey Forest representing 6% of England's total Big Tree Plant target of 1 million trees.[3] Conservation Volunteers and community groups also managed to plant over 143,000 trees all around England during the programme.[19][13]
^Chainsaw massacre: A review of London's street trees 2011-06-14 at the Wayback Machine Greater London Authority, published 2007-05-01, accessed 2010-12-09
^Funding and grants 2010-12-06 at the Wayback Machine The Big Tree Plant, accessed 2010-12-09
^The Big Tree Plant launched, Horticulture Week, published 2010-12-02, accessed 2010-12-09
^Government launches £4.2m urban tree-planting plan, Manchester Wired, published 2010-12-02, accessed 2010-12-09
^"The Big Tree Plant Grants Panel". Forestry Commission. Archived from the original on 17 December 2010.
^The Big Tree Plant - order your free tree planting kit, Keep Britain Tidy, accessed 2010-12-09
^The Big Tree Plant, Keep Britain Tidy, published 2010-12-06, accessed 2010-12-09
^The Big Tree Plant funding scheme, The Big Tree Plant, accessed 2010-12-09
^A million trees for England: but who gets them?, The Guardian, published 2010-12-02, accessed 2010-12-09
^W1WTPI (15 May 2013). "The W1W Street Tree Planting Initiative for Marylebone and Fitzrovia London". The W1W Tree Planting Initiative for Marylebone and Fitzrovia -- Project Website. Retrieved 2019-06-10.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) webmaster@defra gsi gov uk. "Defra, UK - What's going on". Big Tree Plant. Archived from the original on 2013-07-02. Retrieved 2019-06-17.
^Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) webmaster@defra gsi gov uk. "Defra, UK - About the campaign". Big Tree Plant. Archived from the original on 2013-07-02. Retrieved 2019-06-17.
^"The Big Tree Plant | TCV". 15 October 2012. Retrieved 2021-06-23.
^Commission, Forestry (2020-08-28). "Big Tree Plant Sites". data.gov.uk. Retrieved 2021-06-23.
External linksedit
- official site
The benefits of urban trees - Trees for Cities
W1W Street Tree planting initiative in London which benefited from Big Tree Plant funding in 2012
The Mersey Forest and the Big Tree Plant
The Big Tree Plant Campaign Overview
NHS forest and the Big Tree Plant
April 15, 2024
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The Big Tree Plant was a Government sponsored campaign in England in 2010 to promote the planting of trees in neighbourhoods where people lived and worked 1 2 The national campaign ran over four years from 2011 to 2015 and met its objective to plant one million trees 3 4 The Big Tree PlantBig Tree Plant Campaign LogoA Government sponsored tree planting campaign in England overviewFormed2010 Contents 1 Background 2 Funding 3 Criticism and reactions 4 Partners 5 See also 6 References 7 External linksBackground edit nbsp Trees planted on Westrigg Road Carlisle as part of the schemeThe campaign aimed to halt the ongoing decline in urban and semi urban tree planting in England and was the first such initiative since Plant A Tree In 73 1 2 The decline was highlighted by a survey of urban trees in England carried out in 2005 published as the report Trees in Towns II in 2008 which found that there had been a big reduction in urban tree planting compared to a similar 1992 survey leading to an unsatisfactory age structure with too few young trees and which concluded that the issue should be urgently addressed 5 In London a separate 2007 report Chainsaw Massacre found that there were concerns about planting rates in some boroughs and that mature broadleaf street trees throughout London were under severe threat due to a mixture of development pressures reduced expenditure public apathy and antipathy and often unsubstantiated concerns by insurance companies solicitors and home owners over subsidence 6 Both reports also expressed concern over the practice of planting smaller ornamental species rather than native broadleaf trees such as London plane lime and oak Funding edit nbsp Pit preparation for a Street Tree in Fitzrovia Central London part funded by the scheme Funding of 4 2m was to be made available for community civic and other non profit groups from April 2011 7 In addition to covering planting costs grants could be used for related purposes such as community involvement site surveys and the provision of expert advice 2 4m of the funding allocation was promised by the Forestry Commission 2 through efficiency savings and re prioritisation 8 while the remaining 200 000 came from the existing London Tree and Woodland Community Grant 9 The independently chaired Big Tree Plant Grants Panel included representatives from civil society organisations DEFRA and the Forestry Commission and met each spring and summer to award funds 10 In advance of the main funding Keep Britain Tidy one of the partners supporting the initiative had already invited applications for planting kits from schools in the Government s Eco School programme 11 12 Criticism and reactions edit nbsp Alan Titchmarsh plants a tree on Bolsover Street in London part supported by the campaign 13 The funding arrangements specifically the fact that the grants would normally only cover up to 75 of the cost of each scheme although free labour could be offset against this 14 was criticised by some as favouring better off over deprived communities 15 Other projects which coordinated external funding from local stakeholders were more successful 16 The government stated that Seventy percent of the trees in The Big Tree Plant programme were being planted in England s most deprived areas 17 18 The programme was generally well received 62 336 trees were planted in the Mersey Forest representing 6 of England s total Big Tree Plant target of 1 million trees 3 Conservation Volunteers and community groups also managed to plant over 143 000 trees all around England during the programme 19 13 Partners editThe DEFRA led The Big Tree Plant campaign was backed by a number of partners including The Tree Council Woodland Trust Trees for Cities England s 12 Community Forests the National Forest BTCV Civic Voice Groundwork UK Keep Britain Tidy the Local Government Association the Department for Communities and Local Government and the Forestry Commission 1 The national campaign s partnership planted one million trees between 2011 and 2015 20 4 See also editPlant A Tree In 73 a similar campaign in 1973 Green belt Green urbanism Tree planting Trees for Cities Urban forest Urban forestry Urban green space Urban reforestationReferences edit a b c The Big Tree Plant new partnership to plant one million trees DEFRA published 2010 12 02 accessed 2010 12 09 a b c d Aims of The Big Tree Plant Archived 2011 02 21 at the Wayback Machine Forestry Commission accessed 2010 12 09 a b Mersey Forest Big Tree Plant Over four years 62 336 trees were planted www merseyforest org uk a b Big Tree Plant s millionth tree planted GOV UK Retrieved 2021 06 23 Trees in Towns II Department for Communities and Local Government published 2008 02 18 accessed 2010 12 09 Chainsaw massacre A review of London s street trees Archived 2011 06 14 at the Wayback Machine Greater London Authority published 2007 05 01 accessed 2010 12 09 Funding and grants Archived 2010 12 06 at the Wayback Machine The Big Tree Plant accessed 2010 12 09 The Big Tree Plant launched Horticulture Week published 2010 12 02 accessed 2010 12 09 Government launches 4 2m urban tree planting plan Manchester Wired published 2010 12 02 accessed 2010 12 09 The Big Tree Plant Grants Panel Forestry Commission Archived from the original on 17 December 2010 The Big Tree Plant order your free tree planting kit Keep Britain Tidy accessed 2010 12 09 The Big Tree Plant Keep Britain Tidy published 2010 12 06 accessed 2010 12 09 a b Alan Titchmarsh plants NHS Forest NHS Forest nhsforest org 4 April 2011 Retrieved 2021 06 23 The Big Tree Plant funding scheme The Big Tree Plant accessed 2010 12 09 A million trees for England but who gets them The Guardian published 2010 12 02 accessed 2010 12 09 W1WTPI 15 May 2013 The W1W Street Tree Planting Initiative for Marylebone and Fitzrovia London The W1W Tree Planting Initiative for Marylebone and Fitzrovia Project Website Retrieved 2019 06 10 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint numeric names authors list link Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs Defra webmaster defra gsi gov uk Defra UK What s going on Big Tree Plant Archived from the original on 2013 07 02 Retrieved 2019 06 17 Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs Defra webmaster defra gsi gov uk Defra UK About the campaign Big Tree Plant Archived from the original on 2013 07 02 Retrieved 2019 06 17 The Big Tree Plant TCV 15 October 2012 Retrieved 2021 06 23 Commission Forestry 2020 08 28 Big Tree Plant Sites data gov uk Retrieved 2021 06 23 External links editThe Big Tree Plant official site The benefits of urban trees Trees for Cities W1W Street Tree planting initiative in London which benefited from Big Tree Plant funding in 2012 The Mersey Forest and the Big Tree Plant The Big Tree Plant Campaign Overview NHS forest and the Big Tree Plant Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title The Big Tree Plant amp oldid 1187832620, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
