Woodland Creation debated in Westminster Hall
A summary of what we learned from this month's Westminster Hall Debate on Woodland Creation.
On 11 February, MPs gathered to discuss woodland creation in a debate called by Chris Curtis MP. The discussion saw MPs across parties raise gaps in policy and address several areas where further action is needed. We were pleased to hear many of our key concerns raised in the debate, including deer management, aftercare of new woodlands and rebalancing of species selection towards conifers.
Read the full transcript here, or read on for a short summary of the debate.
A shift from ‘plant, plant, plant’ to ‘establish, establish, establish’
Alex Mayer (Lab, Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard) called for a shift from planting targets to establishment targets. It was encouraging to hear her support for better woodland management.
“In woodlands, weed control is particularly important, as is making sure that the saplings are planted well, healthy, British grown and disease free. The first three to five years are so important for establishment. We have to move beyond the “plant, plant, plant” mantra to “establish, establish, establish” because that is what really matters.” – Alex Mayer at 2:44pm
Better support for British nurseries
Alex Mayer went on to call for greater support for British tree nurseries. She asked the Government how it would better align tree supply with planting grants. And given that nurseries need to plan so many years in advance, how long-term stability can be ensured.
“With our ambitions rising significantly, domestic supply needs to keep pace to avoid reliance on imports, which increase pest and disease risks and weaken resilience.” – Alex Mayer at 2:44pm
Managing deer populations
Jim Shannon asked the Minister for Nature, Mary Creagh, about steps being taken to manage deer. She confirmed that a new deer management plan is “imminent” (the policy statement has now been released), noting that excessive browsing is preventing natural regeneration and the establishment of new woodland. Creagh also noted that lethal control is already supported through Countryside Stewardship and she voiced growing concerns about invasive species such as muntjac and Chinese water deer, especially in the East of England.
When Jen Craft raised the idea of introducing lynx as an apex predator to control deer, Creagh said that current legislation and practicalities would make this difficult, particularly the need for extensive fenced areas and long‑term population management.
Call for more conifers to support construction
Alison Taylor (Lab, Paisley and Renfrewshire North) challenged the government’s focus on broadleaf planting, calling for a rebalance of species selection toward conifers to support timber supply and carbon sequestration.
“Only around 12% of new woodland creation has been conifer, far below the minimum of 30% that is widely cited as necessary for net zero and timber security.” – Alison Taylor at 2:57pm.
She drew on her background in property development to point out that a shortfall in timber supply is hindering the Government’s decades-long priority to decarbonise construction.
“Timber can reduce embodied carbon in buildings by 20% to 60% while storing carbon in long-lived products. Yet only 9% of new homes in England are timber-framed, compared with over 90% in Scotland—a major missed opportunity.” – Alison Taylor at 2:57pm.
In response, Minister Mary Creagh confirmed that conifer planting has increased from 9% to 12% from 2024-2025 and stated that the Government is actively working to raise this further.
Greater protection of Ancient Woodlands
Several MPs called for better protection of ancient woodland sites.
Blake Stephenson (Con, Mid Bedfordshire) endorsed the Woodland Trust’s recommendation that the Government should ensure that ancient woodlands are protected, including through designation as sites of special scientific interest.
Chris Hinchcliffe (Lab, North East Hertfordshire) advocated for non‑negotiable protections for habitats or “red lines for nature”, and called on other MPs to support the campaign. He critiqued the national planning policy framework, arguing that loopholes leave ancient woodland vulnerable to damage and deterioration from development.
“Planting trees while weakening the habitats regulations is like planting flowers at one end of a field, while a bulldozer rips it up at the other. We need a joined-up approach that protects what we have and restores what we have lost.” – Chris Hinchcliffe at 2:52pm.
Access to land for woodland creation
The affordability of land for woodland creation was flagged by Jim Shannon (DUP, Strangford). He spoke about woodland creation being restricted by the price of land, citing one example where Ards and North Down council attempted to buy a piece of land for tree planting but was outbid at an “astronomical rate”.
In Northern Ireland, an acre of land currently costs an overall average of £15,202, which Shannon argued puts tree planting at a disadvantage. He called for more help for local authorities to purchase land and for landowners to acquire the trees to plant.
“Unless the Government come alongside our local authorities, it will be left to individuals to bite the bullet themselves and plant out the bottoms of their gardens on hilly land. For us to really make a substantial difference, we need greater help—for local authorities to purchase land and for landowners to get the trees to plant out.” – Jim Shannon at 2:39pm
Marston Vale and the National Forest
Chris Curtis (Lab, Milton Keynes North) and Blake Stephenson (Con, Mid Bedfordshire) voiced their support for the creation of a new national forest in the Oxford–Cambridge Arc and argued that it should be anchored in the community forest of Marston Vale.
“I have made a number of representations to Ministers already, and I believe that the new national forest should be built on the forest of Marston Vale by expanding southwards through my constituency.” – Blake Stephenson at 2:48pm
Read more:
