Issue - meetings

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 8, to allow members of the public to ask questions about the Council’s activities.  The following question was received:

a)     Question submitted by Mr N Clarke to the Portfolio Holder for the Environment

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 8, Members of the Public were able to ask questions to an Executive Member about the Council’s activities.  The following question was submitted by Mr N Clarke:

(1)  Question submitted by Mr N Clarke to the Portfolio Holder for Environment:

“In 2020 Councillors and Officers of BDC met with representatives of the Woodland Trust to negotiate funding for a tree planting project across the district of Bolsover.

Funding of £250,000 was secured and with additional council funding a plan to plant a million trees over a 15 year period was made. Initial planting took place in 2021.

I understand that according to the Portfolio Holder for the Environment that the tree planting programme no longer exists. He has stated:

          "That there is no district council tree planting programme. We don't actually have a woodland strategy. In the past there was a temporary tree planting programme which was funded by a grant from the Woodland Trust. This grant has now been spent."

I would want to know why was this decision not made public?

I would also like to like to know why has the tree planting programme been discontinued when it is widely known that trees are a vital component in protecting against flooding and soil erosion and as we are experiencing climate change with ever increasing extreme weather events, the planting of trees are a major tool to combat the effects of climate change.

Therefore, my question is “Will the Council make genuine commitment to reintroducing the tree planting programme and provide additional funding to support the protection of the environment in the district of Bolsover?”

Councillor Hiney-Saunders provided the following response:

“Tree planting can be an effective tool in the fight against climate change whilst improving our local environment. However, it’s very important that we weigh up the costs and benefits against our other environmental commitments - like emptying the bins, fighting fly-tipping, maintaining our existing tree coverage etc.

As far as I am aware this council has never passed a resolution to permanently allocate funds to tree planting. The council did however have an ambition of planting up to one million trees. No permanent resources were allocated to turn this ambition into a programme. 

What the council has done - and should be really proud of - is set up a vehicle called the Bolsover Community Woodlands project to spend a grant of £270k from the Woodland Trust received in 2021 to plant over 25,000 trees in the last four years. Trees have been planted in areas such Elmton-with-Creswell, Old Bolsover, Whitwell, Clowne (namely the Queen’s Green Canopy Orchard outside this building at the Arc), South Normanton, Langwith and Shirebrook.

However, at more than £10 a tree it’s going to cost the district over £10 million to deliver an ambition of planting 1 million trees, and which at that rate of progress will take 160 years. I have my doubts that that is the basis of a realistic programme.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 33