InYourArea News

Thousands of trees to be planted along Tamar and Fowey rivers in bid to improve biodiversity and reduce flood risks

The scheme is part of a national project that will see thousands of trees planted alongside England's rivers and waterways

Olivier Vergnault

By Olivier Vergnault

The aim of the scheme is to turn rivers into woodlands, improve biodiversity and reduce the risk of flooding (Image: BBC)

Thousands of trees are to be planted along riverbanks and watercourses in Cornwall as part of a national project to improve air and water quality and improve biodiversity and reduce the risk of flooding.

The England Trees Action Plan, supported by an intended £500m from the Nature for Climate Fund, will help see an unprecedented number of trees planted, protected and managed to deliver more for society, nature, the climate and the economy.

The ‘Woodlands for Water’ project will be operating nationally on the National Trust estate and in six catchment areas across the country including along the Tamar and Fowey rivers and their tributaries in Cornwall.

In total it is a more than 3,000 hectares of new woodlands which will be planted in England as part of the scheme announced by Forestry Minister Lord Goldsmith.

He said the aim of planting so many trees alongside riverbanks is to help improve water quality by blocking the runoff of pollutants into rivers, manage flood risks by slowing the flow of water, boost biodiversity by creating new habitat corridors and make our climate more resilient by providing shade and cooling water temperatures.

The Cornwall-based Beaver Trust is one of the partners in the scheme (Image: Nina Constable) 

There are 242,262km of watercourses in England, and it is hoped that by planting trees in this way they will form a natural network of habitats across the country as part of our plans to expand, improve and connect these places across our towns, cities and countryside.

The project aims to create 3,150 hectares of trees in six river catchment areas from Cornwall to Cumbria by March 2025.

To support farmers and landowners to create these woodlands, they will be able to apply for funding through the ‘England Woodland Creation Offer’ grant which provides greater financial incentives for landowners and farmers to plant and manage trees, including along rivers and watercourses.

Lord Goldsmith said: “This is a hugely exciting and untapped area for woodland creation. The benefits of planting trees by rivers are vast - from helping biodiversity recover by creating more natural riverbanks, to slowing the flow of surface water to reduce the risk of flooding; and improving water quality by buffering rivers from harmful agricultural pollution.

“The Government is committed to trebling tree-planting rates by the end of this parliament, and in this vitally important year for tackling climate change with the Glasgow COP summit, this partnership marks an important next step in our plans to build back greener.”

Forestry Commission chairman Sir William Worsley added: “By putting the right trees in the right place, helped by our new England Woodland Creation Grant, the Woodlands for Water project can offer numerous benefits, from creating new woodland habitats; protecting existing habitats such as chalk streams; improving environments for fish by reducing water temperature, and helping rivers adapt to climate change.”

The project would see thousands of trees planted along side England's waterways and rivers (Image: Olivier Vergnault / Cornwall Live) 

James Wallace, chief executive officer of the Cornwall-based Beaver Trust, one of the partners in the scheme, said: “As members of the Riverscapes partnership with Defra we are pleased to be a part of this first big first step towards paying farmers to create a nature recovery network of mosaic habitats along our rivers, working together to breathe life back into our land.

“We hope in time farmers will be incentivised not only to plant trees but to create wetlands, floodplain meadows and other spaces for natural processes and wildlife to regenerate in riparian buffer zones.

“Collaboration between Government, industry, landowners, communities, and the NGO sector is key if we are to help communities build resilience to the climate and the ecological emergency.”

Get all the latest news, updates, things to do and more from Cornwall's dedicated InYourArea feed.