Every Kirklees household to be within 500 metres of high-quality greenspace by 2050
Kirklees Council’s cabinet has endorsed the next phase of the White Rose Forest strategic plan that will see multiple environmental benefits for the people of Kirklees.
The strategic plan lays out the overriding forestry strategy and vision for North and West Yorkshire with the five strategic objectives to: increase tree canopy cover in line with government statutory targets; protect and restore more trees and woodlands; engage more people, communities and businesses in the planting, management and contact with trees and woodlands; promote the transformational benefit of trees and woodlands; and grow the impact and sustainability of the White Rose Forest.
At a meeting on 8 July, cabinet gave the green light to plans for the next 25 years that will take us a step closer to meeting these objectives and is in line with the government’s statutory target to increase tree cover to 16.5% by 2050.
The White Rose Forest partnership is made up of 11 partner organisations across North and West Yorkshire, in which Kirklees Council is playing a leading role as the ‘Accountable Body’.
Over the last 18 months, the White Rose Forest team have consulted a wide range of stakeholders to create their strategic plan for 2025-2050 which will provide the framework to increase tree and woodland cover and management across North and West Yorkshire over the next 25 years.
Councillor Graham Turner, Cabinet Member for Finance and Regeneration said:
“Together with the rest of the White Rose Forest partnership, we have already achieved so much. During the 2023-24 alone 794,000 trees were planted in the White Rose Forest across 175 different projects.”
“By 2050, we want everyone in Kirklees to be closer to high-quality greenspace and the latest plan from the White Rose Forest, named Community Forest of Year in 2024, will help us get there.
“As well as creating more spaces for nature and for people, trees and woodland are one of the most effective nature-based solutions for adapting to climate change. They are a potent carbon capture tool and a vital part of our mission to be reach Net Zero by 2038.”
Read the White Rose Forest’s Strategic Plan for 2025 – 2050.