Trees make an important contribution to the character and appearance of the borough. Trees which are healthy and are of high amenity value can be protected by a Tree Preservation Order (TPO) under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990. Local planning authorities have a wider statutory duty when determining planning applications to include appropriate and adequate provision for the preservation and planting of trees. They also have a duty to consider the making of tree preservation orders for individual trees, groups of trees or woodlands37.

The council seeks to retain existing wildlife habitats comprising trees, shrubs, ponds and hedges. The Local Nature Recovery Strategy38 includes the following priority “More native hedgerows and scrub created and maintained, linking together spaces for wildlife”. Where trees are located on, or adjacent to a site, the policy requires a tree survey to accompany planning applications indicating the location, species, size and condition of trees. Any removal will need to be justified in the survey. Where removal can be justified appropriate replacement should take a natural capital approach and ensure the potential benefits lost from the trees are replaced such as habitat and amenity value. A Capital Asset Value for Amenity Trees (CAVAT) assessment is one tool to understand the amenity value of trees. New tree planting and landscaping proposals should be integrated with the strategy for sustainable drainage systems and assist in reducing and mitigating run-off and flood risk on and from development sites.

The council expects developers to take responsibility for the successful establishment of trees, woodlands, and hedgerows. Individual and small groups of trees must be subject to a maintenance regime lasting not less than 5 years, hedgerows for a period of not less than 10 years, and woodlands for a period of not less than 25 years. Any new planting should follow the guidance set out in the Greater Manchester Tree and Woodlands strategy (and any technical guidance that follows). The provision of new trees and woodland may contribute to the net gain in biodiversity and the urban greening factor as set out in policy ENV 2. The council encourages tree planting to be integrated with the provision of multifunctional SuDS, including features such as tree pits, rain gardens, and bioswales, as they contribute to our wider climate adaptation and water quality goals by offering co-benefits for water management, biodiversity and urban cooling.

Ancient woodland is an area that has been wooded continuously since at least 1600 AD and includes ancient semi-natural woodland and plantations on ancient woodland sites. It is defined as an irreplaceable habitat and is a valuable natural asset, important for:

wildlife (which include rare and threatened species39);

soils;