Mid and East Antrim leads the way with pioneering woodland strategy

The Ecos Nature Park in Ballymena.

Image: UAV NI

Mid and East Antrim councillors have approved a tree and woodland strategy which urges maintenance of current stock.

The proposals, which will take into account tree management, tree safety on council-owned property and planting, were agreed at a meeting of the borough council’s Neighbourhoods and Communities Committee, which met recently at The Braid, in Ballymena.

The strategy was developed after a leading woodland consultancy was commissioned to work with the council’s parks team. It has been funded by almost £300,000 by The Emergency Tree Fund, led by The Woodland Trust, which supports local authorities to manage tree cover in the borough.

The local authority manages three “natural areas” – Carnfunnock Country Park, outside Larne; ECOS Nature Park, Ballymena and Eden allotment gardens, Carrickfergus. The borough is also home to 40 Areas of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI).

Speaking at the committee meeting, Carrick Castle Alliance Councillor Lauren Gray described the initiative as “really exciting”, adding that Mid and East Antrim is “one of the first councils moving in this direction”. She urged ancient trees to be “safeguarded” across the borough.

Larne Lough party colleague Cllr Maeve Donnelly requested more fruit trees on council land. An orchard has been planted at Larne Town Park.

Carrick Castle DUP Alderman Billy Ashe MBE described the draft strategy as “a sterling piece of work”. However, he said that there should be a “focus” where there are “flooding problems”.

“We need to keep pushing on that front to keep alleviating the same areas susceptible to flooding,” he stressed. Ald Ashe pointed out that “substantial numbers of trees” were felled by recent storms

The committee was told that work carried out in their aftermath has demonstrated the need for a co-ordinated response to trees and woodlands across the borough to ensure that not only is Mid and East Antrim’s tree cover increased but also that the health of existing tree and woodland stock is maintained on an ongoing basis.

Ald Ashe added: “We are not getting round this work quickly enough. We are not getting round it as efficiently as we need.”

The strategy states that Mid and East Antrim has 9,400 hectares of tree canopy cover, ranging from 8.2 per cent in Braid to 15.1 per cent in Knockagh Electoral Area. By contrast, the average urban tree canopy cover in England is 16.5 per cent.

It warns: “One of the greatest threats facing tree populations is ash dieback a deadly fungal disease, which was first recorded in Northern Ireland in 2012 and is now widespread across the region including Mid and East Antrim.

“Given the size of mature ash trees and the wide range of native biodiversity that depend on them, both canopy cover and local ecosystems are at serious risk of decline over the next ten to 20 years. The Woodland Trust estimates that up to 80 per cent of ash trees in the UK could be lost to this disease.

“A more varied tree scape reduces the risk of large-scale loss due to species specific threats. The first step in achieving this is assessing the existing species composition across Mid and East Antrim to guide future planting and management.”

However, it has been stressed that funding “remains a primary constraint”.

“A comprehensive financial plan for the Trees and Woodland Strategy is essential to secure resources for both immediate and long-term objectives. Investing in staffing and training is pivotal for the success of tree and woodland programmes ensuring the borough’s green infrastructure is effectively managed and preserved,” it has been noted.