Agenda item

Report of the Director of Streetscene and Regulatory Services

The Cabinet and Deputy Cabinet Member for City Services have been invited to attend for consideration of this item.  

The Cabinet Member for Policing and Equalities considered a report of the Director of Streetscene and Regulatory Services which outlined progress being made in the development of the City Councils Urban Forestry Strategy (the Strategy). A copy of a draft Strategy was attached as an Appendix to the report.

The draft Strategy outlines the current condition and state of the urban forestry. The drafting of the Strategy included two workshops with Elected Members and the Coventry Tree Warden Network, to allow for ideas and aspirations to be included. Subsequently two phases of consultation have been undertaken, the first with internal departments and the second with key stakeholders and partners. The information received has been translated into the detailed action plan which supports the report.

The draft Strategy recognises the value and importance of the urban forest, particularly in mitigating pollution, heat, flooding and wind as well as its value towards biodiversity, wildlife, the community's health and wellbeing, overall quality of the urban environment and economic value. A number of challenges and opportunities are discussed within the draft Strategy. Reductions in Government spending has led to a decreased spend in greenspaces and, as a result, lack of funding has been identified as a main constraint in both improving and maintaining the tree stock. The draft Strategy recommends that focus should be made in maximising funding through S106 agreements, exploiting opportunities arising from Regeneration and Business Improvement Districts in establishing sustainable urban forests, along with establishing effective partnerships with developers and landowners.

The importance of strategically managing the urban forest is highlighted and the draft Strategy makes reference to a number of Coventry City Council Policies which touch the City’s urban forest including the Coventry City Council Area Action Plan, Development Strategy and the recently adopted Greenspace Strategy. The draft Strategy acknowledges the significant work done by Coventry’s Urban Forestry team to explore new ways of working and provide better value for money in tree maintenance. A number of aspects are recognised as significant, including the management of all street trees, the adoption of Tree Risk management processes and procedures to ensure the establishment of new trees.

The draft Strategy contains themes and key actions on:

·  Planning: ensuring we have robust andrelevant urban forest policies and technicalguidance to facilitate high quality design anddevelopment.

·   Protection: putting biodiversity and the healthof trees at the heart of all our work.

·  Procedures: ensuring we have appropriateoperational plans and processes that areregularly monitored and reviewed.

·  Projects: developing and creating long termprojects for the management and enhancement of the urban forest in Coventry.

·   Prosperity: making the link with the urbanforest and natural capital for sustainableeconomic regeneration.

·  promotion: having a presence and gettingthe message across to all our stakeholders andcustomers.

·  Partnerships: building on existing andfacilitating new working relationships for thebenefit of the urban forest in Coventry.

·  Profile: having a presence and influencingcolleagues, stakeholders and professionalnetworks in decision making.

·  Pioneering: using technology and new waysof working to create innovation and efficientworking.

It was noted that the Cabinet Member for City Services, Councillor P Hetherton, has been kept informed of the development of the proposal as her portfolio responsibilities include trees on public highways.

The report indicated that the draft Strategy is at a final draft stage and ready to go out to public consultation, the outcome of which will be presented to full Cabinet for consideration and adoption.

RESOLVED that the Cabinet Member for Policing and Equalities:

a)  Notes progress in the development of the Urban Forestry Strategy through two phases of consultation, as detailed within the report.

b)  Approves the undertaking of public consultation on the draft Strategy