Asked by: Kevin Bonavia (Labour - Stevenage)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the merits of modernising the licensing system for forestry operations to provide greater protection for ancient woodlands.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
England’s trees and woodlands are protected by a number of regulatory regimes. These include the felling licence regime, the environmental impact assessment regulations, tree preservation orders, sites of special scientific interest and the planning regime.
Defra recently conducted and published a review into how ancient woodland and ancient and veteran trees are protected by the National Planning Policy Framework. We are working to take forward the findings.
Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps his Department has taken to protect (a) ancient woodlands, (b) coastal and estuarine habitats and (c) wetlands and reedbeds in Lancashire.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We are investing up to £400 million each year for nature schemes. Defra recently conducted and published a review into how ancient woodland and ancient and veteran trees are protected by the National Planning Policy Framework. This revealed that the policy is not being consistently implemented and in collaboration with MHCLG, we are looking at how this can be improved. We continue to update the Ancient Woodland Inventory. It was most recently updated on 2 June 2025 and has recorded over 52,000 ancient woodland sites in England.
Natural England (NE) updated the Ancient Woodland Inventory for Lancashire, published earlier this year. This ensures all mapped areas are now protected from negative development impacts under the National Planning Policy Framework. NE has been supporting the responsible authority in Lancashire to prioritise ancient woodlands in the Local Nature Recovery Strategy, including a key measure for the restoration, protection, and expansion of ancient woodlands.
Working proactively with ‘Our Future Coast’ project, NE is supporting natural coastal protection for communities. It is working in partnership with coastal groups to raise awareness of more natural solutions, whilst providing pre-consultation and statutory advice on flood schemes and development along the coast to protect the unique natural environment and birds.
NE is supporting wetter farming in Lancashire through an EU funded partnership research project called Pallus Demos. It is also working with Rivers Trusts and United Utilities to create more wetlands and reedbeds in the area through Natural Flood Management. Farming schemes are an essential tool and the Brock and Calder Landscape Recovery Project will provide landscape scale improvements in the Wyre Catchment. NE continues to provide statutory advice to protect existing protected habitats, and species.
Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the importance of people’s social and cultural connections to trees, as seen in the recent losses of the Sycamore Gap tree and the Whitewebbs oak tree; and, given the widespread threats facing British trees, including Dutch elm disease and chalara ash dieback, what steps they are taking to ensure that these connections are not lost for future generations.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra has funded projects through Forest Research to explore methods for quantifying the social and cultural value of trees, woodlands, and forests at risk from pests and diseases. A recent evaluation estimates that these natural assets contribute approximately £3.1 billion annually through recreational use, landscape and biodiversity benefits. Additionally, Forest Research has found that regular woodland visits may contribute to annual savings of £185 million in mental health treatment costs.
Defra recognises the exceptional ecological and sociocultural significance of individual trees, such as the Whitewebbs Oak and the Sycamore Gap tree. Many of these trees are classed as ‘irreplaceable habitat’ and are protected under the National Planning Policy Framework and Biodiversity Net Gain Regulations as well as individual Tree Preservation Orders and Felling Licence regulations.
Defra has conducted a thorough enquiry into the threats and the effectiveness of existing protection measures for England’s most valuable trees. We funded a report led by the Tree Council and Forest Research which assessed the current stewardship and safeguarding measures for our most culturally and ecologically important trees. We are carefully considering its recommendations to identify the most robust and cost-effective approaches to long-term protection, and it will be important to balance our approach with existing priorities and our statutory obligations
We have also reviewed the implementation and effectiveness of the National Planning Policy Framework in safeguarding ancient and veteran trees and ancient woodland from development pressures. While these habitats are strongly protected in planning policy, the review identified implementation challenges. We are now developing policy proposals to ensure that high-value trees are protected not only in policy but also in practice.
Our treescapes face increasing threats from pests and diseases. To address this, we have implemented a robust, risk-based regulatory regime that prioritises biosecurity, surveillance, and horizon scanning. We also run targeted management programmes to prevent the importation and spread of quarantine tree pests and pathogens.
We are investing significantly in research and development to preserve iconic tree species and enhance the resilience of our treescapes. This includes initiatives such as Action Oak, a partnership of over 30 organisations focused on protecting native oaks, and the Living Ash Project, which has created two archives of ash trees resistant to ash dieback disease. Defra has also provided £4 million to the Centre for Forest Protection this financial year to support 17 new research projects to improve tree health and resilience and funded the development of the state-of-the-art Holt Laboratory in Surrey to advance tree health research.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 1 April to 2025 to Question 41338 on Nature Restoration Fund, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of a long term plan to help protect irreplaceable (a) peatlands and (b) ancient woodlands.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government is committed to protecting our irreplaceable peatlands. That's why we are investing £400 million to protect and restore nature, including our peatlands and trees including ancient woodlands. We have large ambitions to restore hundreds of thousands of hectares of peatlands across the country, and we are working to ensure that we have the most effective mechanisms in place to go further than we have before.
Defra recently conducted and published a review into how ancient woodland and ancient and veteran trees are protected by the National Planning Policy Framework. This revealed that the policy is not being consistently implemented and we are looking at how this can be improved. Defra is also currently revising the Environmental Improvement Plan, which includes actions to protect ancient woodlands.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 19 March 2025 to Questions (a) 36880, (b) 36881, (c) 36882, (d) 36883 and (e) 36884, when he plans to conclude this work; and if he will publish the results.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
To develop recommendations to address the reports’ findings, we have met with a range of stakeholders, including environmental NGOs, forestry industry representatives and local planning directors. We have also met with relevant government bodies, such as Forestry Commission and Natural England. Initial engagement is helping to shape our recommendations for next steps and we will continue to work alongside these groups to establish the most effective actions for improving the implementation of the National Planning Policy Framework protections for ancient woodland and ancient and veteran trees. We have no plans to publish.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 19 March 2025 to Questions (a) 36880, (b) 36881, (c) 36882, (d) 36883 and (e) 36884, which stakeholders have been consulted.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
To develop recommendations to address the reports’ findings, we have met with a range of stakeholders, including environmental NGOs, forestry industry representatives and local planning directors. We have also met with relevant government bodies, such as Forestry Commission and Natural England. Initial engagement is helping to shape our recommendations for next steps and we will continue to work alongside these groups to establish the most effective actions for improving the implementation of the National Planning Policy Framework protections for ancient woodland and ancient and veteran trees. We have no plans to publish.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
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 potential impact of the nature restoration fund on (a) peatlands, (b) ancient woodlands and (c) other irreplaceable habitats.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Planning and Infrastructure Bill provides an opportunity to accelerate housebuilding and infrastructure delivery by using development to fund nature recovery. This will create a win-win outcome, benefitting both the economy and nature, where both are currently stalled.
The Nature Restoration Fund (NRF) will offer an alternative way for developers to discharge existing environmental obligations related to protected sites and species, without reducing overall levels of environmental protection. The Bill sets out that the specific environmental obligations which may be in scope of Environmental Delivery Plans in future are only those stemming from the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017, the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, or the Protection of Badgers Act 1992.
The National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that development resulting in the loss or deterioration of irreplaceable habitats, which includes ancient woodland and ancient and veteran trees, as well as blanket bog and lowland fen (which are peatland habitats), should be refused, unless there are wholly exceptional reasons and a suitable compensation strategy exists. These protections will continue to apply.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will hold discussions with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities & Local Government on the potential merits of requiring arboricultural (a) reports and (b) impact assessments for all major developments.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We are using the evidence from this Review (Review of the implementation of the NPPF para 186 (c) in applications and appeals in or within 15 metres of ancient woodlands or near ancient and veteran trees), and subsequent engagement with stakeholders, to explore what options are available to improve the implementation of the NPPF regarding ancient woodland and ancient and veteran trees.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to page 3 of the ADAS and Stephenson Halliday's report entitled Review of the implementation of National Planning Policy Framework para 186c, published on 27 August 2024, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the paragraph on Identification of ancient and veteran status.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We are using the evidence from this Review (Review of the implementation of the NPPF para 186 (c) in applications and appeals in or within 15 metres of ancient woodlands or near ancient and veteran trees), and subsequent engagement with stakeholders, to explore what options are available to improve the implementation of the NPPF regarding ancient woodland and ancient and veteran trees.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to page 3 of the ADAS and Stephenson Halliday's report entitled Review of the implementation of National Planning Policy Framework para 186c, published on 27 August 2024, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the recommendations on compensation strategies.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We are using the evidence from this Review (Review of the implementation of the NPPF para 186 (c) in applications and appeals in or within 15 metres of ancient woodlands or near ancient and veteran trees), and subsequent engagement with stakeholders, to explore what options are available to improve the implementation of the NPPF regarding ancient woodland and ancient and veteran trees.