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Message classification: OFFICIAL.
Abdul Hai
[FOI #1079293 email]

Ref No: FOI 2023/653

31/01/2024

Dear Abdul,

Freedom of Information Act 2000 – Request for Information

Thank you for your email of the 31st of January where you requested information about Tree Planting Data.
The information you requested is enclosed and outlined below. If you have any queries concerning the information provided, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Since the 2020 financial year can you publish:
1. All documents related to where to plant trees?

The Council does not have any formal guidance available to the public relating to where to plant trees. With regard to tree planting on Council owned land, either by council staff, community groups or at the request of an individual, then each request/project is assessed on an individual basis, with consideration given to species selection and other local factors such as soil type, current habitat typography, future maintenance implications and potential ecological/wildlife benefits. The attached document, 'Community Orchard Planting' shows the rationale used when a number of new orchards were created in 2022/3, outlining the selection criteria that were used.

In Parks and Countryside sites, managed by the Ranger Service, tree planting has largely been carried out to increase connectivity of existing coups of woodland, in order to increase biodiversity and resilience and also to increase woodland edges (areas of high ecological value). Species selection is based on locally native species, but recently the impacts of climate change has been considered and selection has therefore also factored in. The management plan and woodland management plan for Beacon country Park are attached.

2. Long term management plans for planted trees?

WLBC has a large tree stock that hold has, until recently, only received reactive maintenance. Long term management objectives are currently not developed formalised. Below is a link to the councils tree policy:

https://www.westlancs.gov.uk/media/54738...

Also see the woodland management plan for Beacon Country Park, this is slightly out of date but gives good insite into the typical long-term aims of woodlands within country parks.

3. Survival rates of planted trees?

These are not recorded, anecdotally the figure varies massively, depending on the scheme location, number of trees planted (for example larger trees planted maybe as a memorial tree in a park have nearly 100% survival rate).

The supply of information in response to a freedom of information request does not confer an automatic right to re-use the information. Under UK copyright law you can use any information supplied for the purposes of private study and non-commercial research without requiring permission. Similarly, information supplied can also be re-used for the purposes of news reporting. An exception to this is photographs.

For other forms of re-use, for example publishing the information, you would need the permission of the organisation or person who owns the copyright. In the case of information produced by government departments and agencies you can re-use the information under the Open Government Licence. For information about this please see http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/o...

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If you are dissatisfied with the handling of your request, you have the right to ask for an internal review. Internal review requests should be submitted within two months of the date of receipt of the response to your original letter and should be addressed to: [contact name and address] (See Note (ii) above.)
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The link below will provide you with more information:
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Yours sincerely,

Dan

Dan Massey BSc (hons)
Greenspace Manager
West Lancashire Borough Council
______________________________
Tel: 01695 585265
[mobile number]
Parks and Countryside Ranger Service
Beacon Country Park
Beacon Lane,
Up Holland, Lancashire
WN8 7RU

www.westlancs.gov.uk/countryside
Twitter: @WLBC_Rangers
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