Slash red tape to kick-start expansion of forests, Tory MPs say
Ministers should slash red tape to make it easier to plant trees and kick-start a massive expansion of forests, Conservative MPs have said.
In a manifesto to be launched this week, the Conservative Environment Network say that fast tracked access to government cash for tree planting could lead to the “mass afforestation” of the north of England.
While the amount of land covered by woodland has increased in recent years, the UK still lags behind its European neighbours.
In 2022, 10 per cent of England, 15 per cent of Wales and 19 per cent of Scotland were covered by woodland. The figure was 9 per cent for Northern Ireland and 13 per cent across the UK as a whole.
In comparison, 39 per cent of land in the EU was covered by forests in 2021.
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