A DECISION to reduce the legally-binding target for woodland cover in England has been called "frustrating" by an industry figure. 

The new plan will see woodland cover increased from its current level of 14.5 per cent to 16.5 per cent by 2050 as part of the Environmental Improvement Plan. 

However, this would still be well short of today's EU average of 38 per cent and is down on the 17.5 per cent suggested by the government in its original consultation. 

In response, Soil Association policy advisor Alex Mackaness has called the move "highly questionable", and said ministers should pledge to increase farm woodland cover by 50 per cent.

READ MORE: Woodland cover to be increased by more than five per cent in England

He said: "It is good to finally see the publication of the Government’s Environment Act Targets, but the fact they’ve been published so late is a worrying indication of the Government’s commitment to reversing nature’s decline. 

"The decision to reduce ambition for tree cover from 17.5 per cent to 16.5 per cent is also highly questionable in the midst of the biodiversity and climate crises. 

Alex added: "It is massively frustrating to see that they have compromised on woodland cover targets for England cutting back from the originally proposed 17.5 per cent. 

"We call on Government to spark a ‘farmer-led tree revolution’ by incentivising agroforesty – integrating more trees on arable and livestock land to achieve this level of tree cover. 

"We urge them to seize the opportunity to go beyond these lame targets by supporting a 50 per cent increase in woodland on farms with a diverse range of species which will help deliver our climate ambitions more swiftly." 

The UK Government will publish its Environmental Improvement Plan in January 2023, in which it says it will set out in more detail how it will achieve these targets, including interim objectives. This should include how many hectares of new woodland will need to be created each year in England between now and the end date. 

Under the most recent figures, England would move ahead of Wales in terms of forest area per the UK nations; only Scotland (at 19 per cent today) would exceed it. Northern Ireland's cover stands at just nine per cent, with Wales on 15 per cent. 

Environment Secretary Thérèse Coffey, speaking at the UN Convention in Montreal, said: "We are committed to leaving our natural world in a better state for future generations, and today we are laying the foundations that will help deliver on this commitment."