A new online hub has been launched to connect the forestry and planning sectors, by providing a platform for information sharing between planners, foresters and developers.
The Planning and Forestry Network website has been developed by The Mersey Forest, supported by the Forestry Commission, in response to Defra’s Forest Policy statement last year. The statement recommended the establishment of such a network to
“demonstrate how trees and woodlands contribute to sustainable development and help enable growth.”
The hub currently consists of an ad-hoc group of forestry and planning professionals, who helped to develop the hub. They include members of RTPI and ICF, the planning and forestry professional organisations, TCPA, Woodland Trust, Forestry Commission, TDAG and members of the Landscape Institute, the Arboricultural Association, Community Forests, Local Authorities, along with planning and landscape consultants.
The group is appealing for more members, and are encouraging interested parties to join via their website.
Increased recognition of tree planting
Tom Ferguson, Planning Policy Manager at The Mersey Forest, said: “Trees, woodlands and forests are constantly in the news at the moment – whether it’s a discussion of their use in flood defence systems, or the impact that spending time in woodlands can have on our health and well-being.
“There has never been a better time to launch this new hub, which will provide a useful resource for planners, developers and foresters.
This will both ensure that more numbers of high-quality trees are being planted through the planning system, and increase the recognition of the value of trees and woodland in delivering growth and a wide range of other public goods.”
Visit www.forestryandplanning.org.uk for more information.
