A huge 50 million-tree forest is being planted across the North of England

The North of England is set to see 50 million trees planted over the next 25 years.

It turns out the North has just 7.6% of woodland cover, significantly lower than the average of England, and this new planned forest could absorb 7.5m tonnes of carbon.

Many council leaders, including Sir Richard Leese in Manchester, are backing the ambitious project that will see a forest created, spanning 120 miles across the North. 

The forest will connect Manchester with Liverpool and Lancaster, and see Sheffield, Leeds and Hull connected too. 

The project is currently underway and the Woodland Trust is looking for private landowners who want to take part! 

More than 120 Northern leaders and MPs have asked for the prime minister’s commitment to deliver the Northern Forest in a letter. They’ve also asked for opportunities to be looked at to support the development of green investment models. 

Sir Richard Leese, Leader of Manchester City Council, said: “Manchester City Council declared a climate change emergency earlier this year and is working on a wide range of initiatives to enable the city to achieve its ambitious goal of becoming zero carbon by 2038.

“We are bringing forward an action plan which will explain how Manchester will achieve this ambitious target.

“The Northern Forest initiative, which would help absorb millions of tonnes of carbon, is entirely complementary to that wider goal and something we wholeheartedly endorse.”

Mayor of Sheffield Dan Jarvis, who is co-ordinating the Northern Forest campaign, said: “It will be transformational for more than 13 million residents, improving their health and wellbeing. It will help habitats thrive, a woodland culture to flourish as well as helping to tackle climate change, reduce the risk of flooding and create thousands of new jobs.”

Darren Moorcroft, CEO, Woodland Trust, said: “The Northern Forest represents the green lungs of the Northern Powerhouse. This pioneering project spearheaded by Woodland Trust and the Community Forests will deliver millions of new trees planted, and billions of pounds worth of economic, social and environmental benefits to the region.

“If we are to tackle the climate and biodiversity crises the world faces, internationally significant projects like the Northern Forest must be at the forefront of bold, ambitious domestic thinking.”

You can find out more and get involved on the Woodland Trust site and on the Northern Forest page.