There have been a number of achievements since the strategy launched in July 2020. These will help to protect, regenerate and care for Wirral’s existing stock. More trees, hedgerows and woodlands have also been planted.
Tree planting by the community
A total of 45,559 trees have been planted. This has been thanks to amazing volunteers across the borough and lots of planting events that took place in 2021 and 2022. 26 community planting events and 15 school planting events took place.
To view the rolling total of trees planted in Wirral, check out the council’s Tree-o-metre.
New funding secured
The council has become a member of Mersey Forest. This has helped secure more than £110,000 of grant funding for woodland planting so that more trees can be planted in Wirral. Combining this with other funding for general tree planting, the council has secured a total of £600,000.
New Community Engagement Policy and Action Plan
The council have created a Tree, Hedgerow and Woodland Community Engagement Policy and Action Plan. Within the action plan, the council aims to:
- facilitate and support community planting and maintenance events
- lead and support community awareness campaigns
- support citizen science projects
Increased capacity to manage trees
Two dedicated tree inspectors have been employed by the council to carry out regular inspections of the council’s trees. Their role, contributes to a dedicated team of five, and they will help the council survey all trees owned by the council and manage the tree inventory.
Ash dieback policy
A new Ash dieback policy has been established. The council updates stakeholders about its work to tackle the tree diseases Ash dieback and Meripilus.
This helps to manage the council’s stock of trees. It also makes people aware of what to look for and to do if they spot a tree with a fungus.
Find out more about Ash dieback
Read about other key achievements since a climate emergency was declared