Sir William Worsley is tasked with stopping unnecessary felling of trees and support plans to plant 11 million trees

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

The environment secretary, Michael Gove, has appointed a “tree champion” to stop unnecessary felling of trees and boost planting rates.



Sir William Worsley, chairman of the National Forest Company which oversees the National Forest, has been appointed to support government promises to plant 11 million trees, plus a further 1 million in towns and cities. The move, part of the pledges in the government’s 25-year environment plan, comes after a controversial tree-felling programme in Sheffield.

The Guardian revealed last month how Network Rail drew up a policy document exploring the option of removing all leaf fall trees from alongside its tracks in a programme of enhanced clearance. Network Rail says the document is “a piece of modelling work” that was not adopted as policy.

Tree planting in England is at its lowest rate for a generation, while the loss of existing woodland is happening at an accelerated rate due to weak planning laws, according to campaigners.



It is hoped Worsley will bring together mayors, city leaders and local government to prevent the unnecessary felling of street trees, while also backing the introduction of a new duty for councils to properly consult communities before removing trees.

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Gove said: “We have a responsibility to make sure the next generation inherit the woodlands, forests and trees they deserve. We are beginning to see good progress in growing tree cover, but we need to go further - and faster.”

Worsley said: “Trees and woods are an important part of my life, as they are to local communities. They transform our landscapes, improve our health and well-being and help grow the economy.

“I look forward to working with stakeholders and local authorities to promote these benefits and grow the country’s woodland cover.”

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Jo Johnson, the rail minister, called a halt to all current tree felling during what is the nesting season and commissioned a review into other options than felling for the rail operator.

The review will report at the end of the summer.

• This article was amended on 24 August 2018 following a complaint from Network Rail. The readers’ editor substantially upheld the complaint, finding that in initial reports the status of the leaked policy options document had been overstated.