Mid and East Antrim councillors have been given an update on the Climate Canopy Project which has seen more than 107,000 trees planted across the borough.
The Woodland Trust charity’s Emergency Tree Fund Climate Canopy Project is a funding initiative which aims to support local authorities to increase woodland cover.
In October 2022, Mid and East Antrim Borough Council secured almost £300,000 for a two-year project which includes staffing costs for two officers.
To date, 107,435 trees have been planted at 33 locations across Mid and East Antrim.
These include 24,500 at Carnfunnock Country Park, Larne; 7,200 at McCrea’s Brae, Whitehead; 2,700 at A8 Belfast Road at Shaneshill Road; 2,000 planted in Ahoghill, 3,000 by Cranswick Country Foods, and 7,680, on Translink land, Slaght.
A new 15-acre woodland has been created at Galgorm Resort in Cullybackey. Through this project, 7,500 native trees, including Irish oak, hazel, birch, wild cherry and others provide “a diverse mix of species to form a protective buffer for Galgorm Wood, one of Ireland’s ancient woodlands”, the council has said.
Speaking at a meeting of the council’s Neighbourhoods and Communities Committee, at The Braid, in Ballymena, on Tuesday evening, Carrick Castle Alderman Billy Ashe MBE said:
“I would like to see the council have its own tree-planting programme.
“In the old Carrickfergus Borough Council, we planted 10,000 trees every year. Ten thousand trees were easily planted when you get the community sector involved.
“We need to continue increasing the number of trees for simple things like flood alleviation and water run-off. The Knockagh escarpment in the winter is really bad. What we need is a lot of trees planted. We need an ambitious planting target. We need to plant thousands of trees every year.”
Lindsay Houston, the council’s parks development manager, commented:
“I would fully agree. I think this programme has demonstrated what is possible.”
She went on to say officers have been working with statutory bodies, businesses and private land owners during the first phase of the tree planting initiative and indicated the council is now looking to develop a tree and woodland strategy. She also emphasised the need to look after trees that have already been planted.
The Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Ald Beth Adger MBE, a Braid DUP representative, proposed the council should plant at least 10,000 trees annually.
Philip Thompson, the council’s director of community, indicated officers will bring back a tree strategy with targets.
The parks development manager said: “It is very important we are working with other land owners because our own capacity is limited.”