Minutes of the APPG meeting 26 February 2025
Attendees
Parliamentary: Alex Mayer MP (Chair, Lab., Dunstable, Houghton Regis and Leighton Buzzard), Josh Newbury MP (Lab., Cannock Chase), Baroness Young of Old Scone (Lab.), Earl of Caithness (Con.), Lord Roborough (Con.), representative of Blake Stephenson MP (Con., Mid-Bedfordshire), representative of Simon Opher MBE MP (Lib. Dem., Stroud), representative of Dr Roz Savage MBE (Lib. Dem., South Cotswolds).
Woodland Trust: Andy Allen, Dr James Cooper, Dr John Crawford, Emily Hunter, Richard O'Callaghan, William Ward.
Apologies: Lord Lucas, Baroness Jones of Whitchurch, Lord Hunt, Roger Gale MP, Baroness Taylor of Stevenage, Lord Alton of Liverpool, Ellie Chowns MP, Lord Triesman, Lord Foulkes, Patrick Spencer MP, Baroness Grey-Thompson, Lord Randall of Uxbridge.
Minutes
After some words of welcome from the chair Alex Mayer MP, John Crawford from the Woodland Trust gave a presentation on the role of woodland creation in flood risk mitigation. The group was shown how more trees resulted in a slower flow of floodwater according to several site studies. But a key gap in evidence is how woodland creation can impact flooding at a larger, landscape scale. It is the intention of the research being undertaken by university partners at the Woodland Trust’s Snaizeholme estate in Yorkshire to plug this gap.
An attendee asked how the Woodland Carbon Code - the UK’s voluntary standard for woodland creation projects that generate verified carbon credits – might help with flood risk mitigation. Dr Crawford replied that it will help but that there’s a limit to what a voluntary scheme like WCC can achieve.
Another attendee asked about the evidence base for the impact of urban tree planting on flood mitigation. Dr Crawford replied that woodland creation nearer the source of a river catchment represents better value for money as regards reducing flood risk downstream in urban areas.
There then followed several questions about Snaizeholme specifically. Dr Crawford was asked about the impact of deer on woodland creation. He stated that deer are not a problem at Snaizeholme but that they are a big problem nationwide. Dr Crawford emphasised the importance of a species mix in any woodland creation scheme to protect against tree pests and diseases. An attendee asked if peatland restoration had helped mitigate flood risk. Dr Crawford replied that that data had not yet been collected at Snaizeholme but he would expect so. A member asked if Snaizeholme had previously been wooded, to which Dr Crawford replied, yes, about 150 years or so ago; like much of our previously forested uplands, it would’ve been a remnant of the post-glacial wildwood.
The group then heard a presentation from Andy Allen on the Government’s recently published Land Use Framework green paper. He began by saying that it is a very basic document. It divides existing farmland into three parts: land that will continue to be farmed, land that could be turned over to nature (approximately 10 per cent of existing farmland), and land that could do both (another 10 per cent). He said the paper asked all the right questions but did not give many answers, e.g. how to upscale agroforestry? He argued that the Government should ensure the LUF has cross-government buy-in, viz not just from those responsible for farming and environment policy but also housing and energy infrastructure. He observed that the financial tools to upscale land to nature conservation are not yet sufficiently well developed to fulfil the vision of large-scale land transfer to nature restoration.
Responding, an attendee emphasised the importance of the Government having a proper, evidence-based and data-driven delivery plan if the LUF is to succeed. They also observed that dividing land three ways, as the paper does, is too simplistic.
A parliamentarian said that sites of archaeological interest are often a major block to nature restoration projects, and that rules around this should be applied much more intelligently.
A member asked if decisions on land use would be better made in England at the regional level rather than by central government. Andy Allen replied that regional structures would have to be developed first as the existing devolutionary framework is not yet up to this task.
The speakers were asked how farmers could be best sold on giving over land for nature. Dr Crawford suggested wood pasture is a good, nature friendly form of pastoral farming which could prove profitable. There are also insurance savings from slowing the flow of floodwater owing to natural flood management interventions.
Finally, the group agreed to table Parliamentary questions on natural flood management and how the Government is supporting the role of trees and woods in this. Also, to reiterate the points raised on the LUF by Andy Allen. It was suggested that it would be timely to put in for a Parliamentary debate on woodland creation in the light of concerns over planting rates.
With no other areas of business, Alex Mayer MP brought the meeting to an end.