Support for landowners / land managers

Funding for landowners looking to create treescapes in the capital

For information on the best funding opportunities for London landowners to support treescape creation see here

Site specific technical support

Free access is available through the Forestry Commission to site visits to help you plan to create woodland that will be as beneficial as possible on your land / land you are involved in managing. You need to be proposing 1 ha of increased tree canopy cover – although this could be a total area for a number smaller sites within a given borough. To request a site visit please email SELwoodlandcreation@forestrycommission.gov.uk.

It is good, though not essential at this stage, to include in your email the following: 1.) the postcode or grid reference 2.) the approx size of the proposed treescape creation area / size of your whole land holding; 3.) your reason for being interested in treescape creation.  Advisors accompanying you on site visits are also able to advise you on FC funding most applicable to your site.

Volunteer support

CPRE London

Keen to find volunteers to support on tree planting / after care for tree planting sites on sites you own or are involved in managing or shaping?

Our London Friends of Green Space Network Coordinator, Laura Collins, can help link you up to friends groups in your area. Email laura@cprelondon.org.uk

Trees for Cities and TCV can also help.

The Conservation Volunteers (TCV):

TCV staff work with landowners/managers to design attractive, workable projects. They usually arrange at least one site visit to find out more and help plan works.​ The TCV Project Officer will work up a project brief for corporate volunteers – ideally for advertising from early September/October.  Booking confirmations are made with a minimum 3 week lead in time for landowners.

As well as planting TCV can bring corporate volunteers to weed, mulch and gap-up in the year after planting.​

Contact info: – Tel: 01302 388 883  Email: James Squires on j.squires@tcv.org.uk.

Trees for Cities

Trees for Cities can also help arrange planting with an emphasis on involving local communities and particularly young volunteers.   Tel: 020 7587 1320  Email: roderick.shaw@treesforcities.org to request support

What if there is pressure to sell off green sites? 

Long term leasing should be considered

One option for landowners to consider is long term leasing.  Forestry England will partner with public and private landowners to create long-term leases generating rental income for the landowner. Forestry England will be entirely responsible for designing, planting and managing resulting woodlands, which will all be open for public access.

Organisations that consider buying land to plant trees or rewild

We have identified a number of environmental bodies with an interest in buying land to protect existing treescapes, plant trees or rewild.  These include Woodland Savers, Forestry England, National Trust, Canals and Rivers Trust, Thames Chase Community Forest, Nattergal, Woodland Trust, London Wildlife Trust, RSPB, and Groundwork. We have researched what kinds of site are of interest to them.  If you know of others please do let us know.

Please email us to tell us of sites for sale or likely to come up for sale and we will forward details to organisations committed to keeping sites green that could potentially be interested in on woodlandcreation@cprelondon.org.uk

How about getting existing wooded sites into better condition?

The London Urban Forest Hub has a rich array of valuable information to help get existed wooded areas into better condition – see London Urban Forest Resource Hub: publication library | London City Hall

London Tree Ring Steering Group partners London Wildlife Trust and TCV are the best placed to provide advice on improving the management of wooded sites to enable nature to thrive.  TCV may be able to provide volunteers to come and help.  To request this support please email information@tcv.org.uk