In addition to the 2030 pledge on trees, the Big Halton Forest will also include exploring the establishment of a localised source for trees and eventually other plants to support the development of the forest.
This will see the Council explore tendering an offer to nurseries or farmers to act as a supplier for the Council by agreeing to grow the trees it supplies to the council from seeds and cuttings from Halton's existing trees. It is also intended to explore if other options exist.
The aim is to start cultivation of the trees in 2025 with a view to supplying local trees for The Big Halton forest in 2026/27. In the meantime, other traditional procurement will take place.
Seeds and cuttings will be taken from trees and plants within Halton, meaning that they are much more adapted to our climate and conditions than plants that come from other parts of the UK. By choosing local provenance it also reduces the risk of introducing foreign diseases and pests to the area and preserves local genetics and regional variations within plant species.
The plants and trees grown at the supplier selected will be used to help boost biodiversity within the borough, through providing more wildflowers for our pollinators and more trees for our birds and other wildlife. The initial focus will be on trees.
The Environment Bill that was passed into law in 2021 will help to secure more improvements from developers and help ensure Bio Diversity Net Gain with a 10% minimum in future. Halton BC will be putting such gains into improving our greenspaces and waterways, especially when the regulatory framework is finally in place. This is currently expected in early 2024, following Government postponements during 2023.