Glasgow City Council brings forward new 'forest strategy' to increase trees in East End and Southside neighbourhoods

A new forest strategy for Glasgow aims to increase tree cover in the city to 20 per cent particularly focusing on certain areas including Bridgeton, Dalmarnock and Govan. Currently about 18 per cent of the city’s land area has tree canopy cover.

Council wards with the lowest number of trees are Govan and Anderston, City and Yorkhill with less than 10 per cent of the neighbourhoods  having a leafy canopy. Meanwhile the Linn ward is the highest in the city boasting 31 per cent tree cover with Newlands and Auldburn coming in second at 29 per cent for leafiness.

As well as increasing tree coverage by 2034 the strategy’s vision also includes addressing the impact of disease on Ash trees, increasing people’s access to woodlands and protecting them more through the planning process.

A council meeting is due to be presented with the council’s  draft forestry and woodland strategy next week. Councillors sitting on the net zero and climate progress monitoring city policy committee will be given an update on Tuesday. A consultation is to be launched on the strategy for the council to gather feedback. A council report said: “The forestry and woodlands strategy (FWS) will be the primary strategy and policy document relating to all woodlands and trees in the city.”

It added: “The draft FWS sets the approach to trees and woodlands in the city within the context of the climate change and biodiversity emergencies, and notes mitigation action in one of these areas will have an impact on the other.”