Government must prioritise planting in urban tree deserts

Across England, over 11 million people are living in ‘tree deserts’ - areas of chronically low tree cover. That needs to change: we all deserve access to the vast health benefits trees bring. That change is beginning to take shape: together, we’ve secured a new Community Trees Fund which will help plant up to 50,000 new trees near where people live.

What’s the problem?

Tree cover in our urban neighbourhoods varies wildly, from as little as 3% in Fleetwood, Lancashire to 45% in Farnham, Surrey. The most affluent neighbourhoods often have more than double the tree cover of the poorest and most underserved. This silent injustice means that neighbourhoods already facing greater social and environmental challenges also have less access to the vital benefits of trees.

Trees boost our physical and mental health

Missing out on trees harms our communities. In neighbourhoods with the lowest tree cover per person, air pollution is 30% higher. During dangerous heatwaves, lack of shade can make a city street even hotter: in Cardiff, we found a stark difference of 20C between direct sunlight and shade under an urban tree.

This isn’t just unpleasant. Increased heat and air pollution lead to higher risk of heart attack, stroke, asthma attack and cancer. In greener areas, life expectancy is higher and you’re more likely to earn more and study better when surrounded by trees. 

Research also shows that planting trees gives us a strong sense of pride in where we live, significantly boosting community unity and resilience and our own wellbeing. We all deserve this. We all need fair access to trees.

A new Community Trees Fund

The England Tree Action Plan is the Government’s strategy for protecting, expanding, and managing trees and woods in England from 2026-2030. Due in late 2026, the plan will show how it will spend the £1 billion set aside for woods and trees.

Thanks largely to public pressure, including many of you emailing your MP to call for equitable access to trees, the Government has announced a £53 million Community Trees Fund. This is specifically for planting trees in streets, parks, rural areas and farms across England and is a huge step forward. It wouldn’t have been achieved without your support.

As the fund details are confirmed, we’re working hard to secure a commitment that priority will be given to the areas that need trees the most. Promisingly, in the speech announcing the fund, the Secretary of State for Environment acknowledged that the effects of climate change are felt differently across the nation, suggesting a willingness to use the funding in a targeted way.

Thank you to everyone who joined us in urging Government to green the tree deserts.