The third year of planting new trees is underway across Runcorn and Widnes and should be completed by March.
The past two years have seen the planting of more than 18,000 trees and this year a major uplift will see 50,000 trees being planted from January to March.
In 2025, the numbers planted have increased as pledged last year, to ensure progress on the pledge of 130,000 new trees planted across Halton by 2030.
By the end of the project every ward area of Halton will have seen new tree plantings, which now includes 12 wards targeted for increased tree canopy.
This year’s plantings at a range of sites across Widnes and Runcorn is pivotal and will see the Council pass the halfway mark for planting 130,000 new trees by for 2030.
Examples of some of the sites include: Bradley Way, Big Pool, Castlefields Avenue North, Spike Island, Carter House Way, Moore Meadow, A533 Southern Expressway, Halton Link Road and Beechwood Avenue.
The Council’s lead on Climate Change, Cllr Phil Harris, said: “This year the Council’s Environment Services Division have helped deliver the pledge made last year to ramp up tree planting and, in the year ahead, the Council will seek to progress the next phase of Biodiversity Net Gain for local nature.’’
Funding for the Big Halton Forest comes from a range of external funding meaning no added burden to local taxpayers. Funding streams this year have included the Environmental Fund, and the Local Authority Treescapes Fund administered by the Forestry Commission.
Alongside plantings in residential and other traditional areas, developers of housing and commercial sites have also been approached to include more trees and diverse planting in their developments in addition to the Forest project.
For more details on the Big Halton Forest:
https://www3.halton.gov.uk/Pages/campaigns/bigforest/index.aspx
For more information on the Council’s Tree & Woodlands Strategy: A Tree Strategy for Halton.pdf