Bedford has lower tree coverage than English average - but mayor vows town is "enjoying record investment"

Bedford has lower than average tree coverage compared to the rest of England, new figures show.

Analysis conducted on behalf of Friends of the Earth by mapping experts Terra Sulis has identified lone and street trees, which were not previously captured.

It shows just 8.8% of Bedford is covered by trees.

But Bedford’s mayor, Dave Hodgson, says the town is having record investment in trees and the council is also working with the Forest of Marston Vale to create 61 square miles of community forest.

In England, tree canopy cover stands at just 12.8%, of which only 10% can be attributed to woodland. Across the European Union, woodland cover rises to 38%.

The Government's current goal is to increase tree coverage to 16.5% by 2050, but climate charity Friends of the Earth said this is "inadequately low", and argued double the current figure would be more reasonable.

Mike Childs, head of science, policy and research at Friends of the Earth, said: "The Government should be aiming to double tree cover in England by 2050 to ensure that people, no matter where they live or what their income, can experience the mental and physical health benefits that trees bring.

"Current targets for tree planting are woefully inadequate and overlook the devastating impact that timber and wood imports from countries such as Brazil, China and Russia wreak on nature globally.

"We need many more trees for farming, urban cooling and absorbing harmful carbon emissions. The Government must get behind a far more ambitious plan to boost tree numbers and adopt this as an official target."

Tree coverage roughly tracks levels of deprivation across the country, with the most deprived areas generally having fewer trees.

Census figures from the Office for National Statistics show 52% of 74,950 households in Bedford are not deprived in four key areas – housing, education, health and employment.

It means the area ranks 249th for tree coverage but is the 103rd least-deprived.

The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs said the Government is committed to trebling average tree planting rates, boosting the number of trees close to where people live and in nature-deprived parts of the country.

It said £650 million of funding is focused on the "planting and establishment of trees in urban areas".

Mayor Dave said: “'We are currently enjoying record investment in trees in Bedford borough and are working with the Forest of Marston Vale to create 61 square miles of community forest, one of only 13 in the UK.

"As part of this massive investment Bedford Borough Council has increased our tree planting, from a few hundred in 2016 to over 30,000 this year. We aim to continue to grow this figure further over the coming years.

“The council are engaging in a variety of planting styles that include; street and park trees, woodland and copse creation, grazing woodland pasture and orchard planting to grow canopy cover.

“Our big tree giveaways are a great opportunity for residents, schools, and businesses to collect free trees and raise the number of trees planted on private land. We are keen to improve street scenes and maintain our local parks, which ensure all residents and visitors of Bedford borough have access to trees and green open spaces.”

Visit here for more info on trees in the borough