Tree Planting

(asked on 12th July 2021) - View Source

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect of the closure of the Wykeham Nursery site in North Yorkshire on Forestry England's ability to fulfil planting targets without increasing reliance on the import of trees to the UK.


Answered by
Rebecca Pow Portrait
Rebecca Pow
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This question was answered on 15th July 2021

Forestry England manages two nursery sites, one at Delamere in Cheshire and the other at Wykeham in Yorkshire. Following a detailed review of future tree seedling supply needs, Forestry England plan to close Wykeham nursery and to concentrate production at its Delamere facilities. Forestry England is strengthening the resilience of tree supply by investing to adapt to the impacts of climate change and biosecurity challenges.

The nurseries exist primarily to supply trees for Forestry England; the closure at Wykeham will not impact upon current or future tree planting ambitions nationally or by Forestry England. In support of their biosecurity assurance protocols Forestry England only plant trees grown in Britain with Plant Healthy certification.

Forestry England has been proactive in strengthening biosecurity across their operations and were the first locations in which the Plant Healthy audit protocols were tested. Forestry England are working closely with industry partners in encouraging the development of robust biosecurity assurance across the whole tree nursery sector.

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