UK ‘tree deserts’ leave millions exposed to pollution, heat and poor health

Millions of people in UK towns and cities are living in 'tree deserts', where a lack of trees is leaving communities more exposed to poorer health outcomes, air pollution and rising temperatures, according to new figures published by the Woodland Trust.

Research by the UK’s largest woodland conservation charity reveals stark inequalities in access to the benefits urban trees provide, highlighting a significant North-South divide across the UK, with 15 of the UK’s 20 worst-performing towns and cities in the north.

The north-east of England has no towns or cities in the best-performing 100, making it the most at-risk English region. Thirteen of the worst-performing English towns are also in the North East.

Clacton-on-Sea in Essex is the worst performing town or city in England, and Holyhead in North Wales and Omagh in Northern Ireland are also high up the list. This puts them among the UK’s most exposed urban areas, with some of the highest proportions of urban residents living in neighbourhoods with critically low tree equity – where communities are most missing out on the health and environmental benefits of trees.  

Caroline Gray, Woodland Trust tree equity programme officer, said:

"These new figures reveal an injustice that is silently affecting the health of millions of people.

"More than a million people in the UK are living in these tree deserts – places of critically low tree equity where communities are missing out on the many benefits trees provide.

"That can mean hotter homes and streets, dirtier air, higher rates of asthma and heart disease, and poorer physical and mental health. These challenges affect daily life in countless ways and, combined with wider inequities, can even contribute to lower life expectancy.

"But low tree cover is a problem we can do something about. We must get trees onto the greyest of UK streets and embed them into plans for new developments, so that all communities can benefit from greener, healthier and more resilient places to live, because the benefits trees provide should not depend on your postcode."

Regional insights

• Three quarters (15) of the 20 worst-performing towns in the UK are in the north of England.
• The north-east of England has zero towns or cities in the best performing 100, making it the worst English region to live in for urban tree cover. Thirteen of the worst-performing English towns are in the north-east of England.
• The north-west of England has five towns and cities in the top 20 worst-performing towns in the UK.
• Five of the best-performing urban areas for tree cover are in London.
• Eleven of the best-performing urban areas for tree cover are in the south-east of England.
• Across the 20 worst performing towns and cities in the UK, 1.3m of the 1.5m residents live in a tree desert – an area of critically low tree cover.

Research shows that scarcity of trees puts residents at risk of higher levels of stress, anxiety, depression and poor physical health. Trees in towns and cities also reduce air pollution, flooding and rising temperatures.

Caroline Gray added:

"Trees in towns and cities aren’t just things of beauty and inspiration. Trees reduce levels of anxiety and depression. They clean the air we breathe. They protect us from extreme heat and flooding. Urban trees make our neighbourhoods quieter and safer and give us a sense of pride in where we live. They can even increase our property value and make homes easier to sell.

"A lack of trees may already be impacting our health, or the health of our children or family. We are encouraging people to go to our website and check their postcode to see if they are living in an area with low tree cover."

Studies have shown that trees in urban areas can:

• reduce air pollution, quieten noise and keep cities shaded and cool
• improve ecosystems and boost biodiversity
• create a sense of place, beauty and heritage
• create environments where businesses want to invest and people want to live and work
• improve house prices
• alleviate stress, stabilise blood pressure, ease anxiety and depression, and provide opportunity for healthy, active lifestyles.

There is strong public support for addressing inequalities in access to trees. A 2025 Woodland Trust survey of more than 2,000 people living in urban areas found that 88% believe everyone should have fair access to trees and the benefits they provide, no matter where they live.

Caroline Gray added:

"Tree equity must be embedded into urban forest planning, and that doesn't just mean planting. Plans must also include caring for and protecting both newly planted and existing trees, to ensure they continue to thrive and improve the quality of life for generations to come."

Find your score and help create tree equity in cities and towns across the UK. The rankings, which expose the areas most missing out on the many benefits of trees, use a town or city name to reflect the wider urban location around it. The named place has been used as a representative example of one of the areas facing the greatest challenges within the local authority.