This proposal is deliberately simple. While we focus heavily on woodland creation, we’ve steadily lost individual trees from our everyday landscape — from village greens, parkland edges, riversides, approach roads and field margins. In non-woodland areas especially, trees once shaped views, framed settlements and gave structure to place. That layer has quietly thinned.
The Local Treescape Project aims to restore it — not through plantations, but through carefully positioned individual trees or small groups, particularly in and around Conservation Villages and settlement edges in this ward. The emphasis is on quality and placement: the right species, properly protected, with secure tenure and long-term management agreed from the outset.
Ecologically, even single trees can strengthen habitat links, support biodiversity and contribute to water management and carbon storage.
But they also have cultural value. Landmark trees anchor space, reinforce character and improve how places feel.
The project would start with a modest seed fund already pledged, used to unlock additional grants and partnerships. We would only support planting where long-term care is secured and where proposals clearly strengthen landscape character and connectivity.
In short, this is about restoring trees to the everyday landscape in a disciplined, well-managed way — starting small, but with lasting impact.