NEARLY half of English neighbourhoods have less than 10 per cent tree cover, with lower-income areas having far fewer trees than wealthier ones, analysis has found.

The country's tree cover is just 12.8 per cent, according to the research by Friends of the Earth, with only 10 per cent made up by woodland. This pales in comparison with the EU, where woodland cover stands at 38 per cent.

While the UK government aims to increase tree cover to 16.5 per cent by 2050 under plans to reach net zero and protect biodiversity, campaigners say this is not sufficient, calling for tree numbers to be doubled.

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Carried out on behalf of Friends of the Earth by mapping experts Terra Sulis, the analysis has for the first time identified lone trees and street trees in England using laser imaging, bolstering previous research that accounted only for trees in woodlands and those clustered in smaller groups.

It found that 43 per cent of neighbourhoods in England have less than 10 per cent tree canopy cover, while 84 per cent have less than 20 per cent coverage.

Some areas have far less tree cover than others, the research found. For example, South Holland in Lincolnshire has been found to have the lowest tree cover in the country at only 2.2 per cent, while Surrey Heath in Surrey ranks highest with 36.1 per cent. Wealthier areas were better off; neighbourhoods that rank lowest on the Index of Multiple Deprivation – a measure that evaluates social disadvantage in the UK – have far fewer trees than the wealthiest neighbourhoods.

Mike Childs, the head of science, policy and research at Friends of the Earth, said: “The UK government should be aiming to double tree cover in England by 2050 to ensure that people, no matter where they live or what their income, can experience the mental and physical health benefits that trees bring. Our new mapping identifies the areas that are missing out most on these life-enhancing protections, and where new tree planting should be prioritised.”

In response to the new research, a Defra spokesperson said: “This government has committed to a five-fold increase in average tree planting rates which will boost the numbers of trees close to where people live and in some of the most nature deprived parts of the country.

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“As set out in the England Trees Action Plan, increasing tree and canopy cover across England is part of our plan to tackle the impacts of climate change and the biodiversity crisis, and £650m of Nature for Climate funding is kickstarting our progress through targeted grants like the Urban Tree Challenge Fund which will see planting and establishment of trees in urban areas.”