Issue - meetings

            The Committee considered the undernoted report

“1.0      Purpose of Report or Summary of main Issues

1.1       The purpose of the report is to give members an update on the One Million Trees programme and to respond to the request that officers come back to this committee with a report on the management procedures and policies of the One Million Trees project.

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       The Committee is asked to:

                                         i        Note the agreed site assessment criteria and process undertaken to identify if a site is suitable for tree planting including the expertise used across the Delivery Team and specialist expertise determined on a site by site basis;

                                        ii        Note that the monitoring of planted sites by the Delivery Team includes surveys within the first three years of planting and identification of survival rates;

                                      iii        Note that the programme has to date planted 63,500 trees with programme of community engagement underway that includes tree planting, business involvement, schools engagement, give a tree a home events, hedgerow and ancient woodland restoration; and

                                      iv        Consider an invitation to by the Delivery Team to visit some of the sites already planted under the Million Trees Programme later this year.

3.0       Main report

3.1       Background

            In the Climate and City Resilience Committee on 8^th December members requested a report on the management procedures of the One Million Trees project. In particular, a focus on any ecological assessments, site selection, bio security measure, monitoring work and who is sought for specialise and technical advice on such matters was requested.

            As members will be aware, the One Million Trees Programme has been running since 2020 and is a city-wide partnership and ambition to plant one million trees in Belfast by 2035. It is one of the ambitions of the Belfast Resilience Strategy, and has three key objectives:

·        To create an inclusive structure and processes which enable tree planting and the growth of green infrastructure and biodiversity in Belfast;

·        To plant at least one million trees within the next 15 years- delivering a step change in our approach to climate adaptation and environmental improvements; and

·        To protect the city and the people of the city by increasing carbon capture, reducing harms from air pollution, weather impact and loss of nature and improving health and well-being.

            Since the project began 63,500 trees have been planted across the city. A programme of community engagement is underway that includes tree planting, business involvement, schools engagement, give a tree a home events, hedgerow and ancient woodland restoration.

3.2       Governance and implementation arrangements

            Belfast City Council agreed it would coordinate the initial phase of the project, liaise with partners and set out recommendations for project implementation. In terms of governance procedures, the Million Trees Steering Group leads the project and is made up of twenty one partners that meet on a biannual basis and agree the strategic direction of the project including to include processes and procedures. The delivery of the project is then taken forward by the Million Trees Delivery team  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8