Issue - meetings

Cabinet Member: Climate Change Delivery & Environment

Forward Plan Ref: 2022/014

Contact: Paul Fermer, Assistant Director Operations Tel: 07825 273984 / Andy Lederer, Principal Officer – Arboriculture Tel: 07860 453603

Report by Corporate Director Environment & Place (CA6).

This new Tree Policy puts the emphasis on ‘Presumption in favour of trees’ to maximise canopy cover opportunities and address the Climate Emergency across the Oxfordshire Landscape and Streetscape.

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:

a)               Approve the updated Tree Policy as at ANNEX 1;

b)              Approve the inclusion of related matters into the Street Design Guidance;

c)               Support the additonal information provided as ‘Application of Tree Policy Guidance’ as set out at ANNEX 2.

Recommendations approved.

Cabinet considered a new Tree Policy putting the emphasis on ‘Presumption in favour of trees’ to maximise canopy cover opportunities and address the Climate Emergency across the Oxfordshire Landscape and Streetscape.  Cabinet was recommended to approve the policy and related guidance.

Councillor Pete Sudbury, Cabinet Member for Climate Change Delivery & Environment introduced the policy.  He described it as part of a much-needed strategic shift.  The old policy viewed trees as something nice to have but saw them largely in terms of costs and risks rather than as assets and something that helps us reduce risks.  Under the new policy trees were regarded as critical climate infrastructure.  It sets out the need to expand the supply chain for locally grown trees.

The Climate Change Committee outlined 10 principles for successful adaptation.  He emphasised four of them: a clear vision, clarity of targets, impact of unpredictable extremes and threshold effects – triggered by particular levels of climate heating.  There were two pillars: people and the natural world.  The latter will survive no matter what, the question was whether we can accompany it.

There was a broader strategy being worked on but the Climate Change Committee recommended acting quickly on measures such as those in this policy - recognising that tree planting had multiple benefits.  He thanked officers for their work on the policy, especially Andy Lederer and Nick Mottram, and also acknowledged the work done by a former Labour councillor for Hackney, John Burke, who led that council’s very innovative tree strategy.  Many of his ideas informed this policy.

The Chair put the recommendations.

RESOLVED to:

a)              Approve the updated Tree Policy as at ANNEX 1;

b)              Approve the inclusion of related matters into the Street Design Guidance;

c)              Support the additional information provided as ‘Application of Tree Policy Guidance’ as set out at ANNEX 2.