England’s ‘tree deserts’ need more trees to tackle soaring temperatures in towns and cities, according to a new report by the Woodland Trust.
Shading from trees can reduce surface temperatures by more than 10°C, but 11 million people in the UK currently live in tree deserts – defined as having less than 10% tree cover.
The new report from the UK’s largest woodland conservation charity highlights the positive effects of trees on climate, flooding, air pollution, health and wellbeing, but reveals that the most economically disadvantaged communities often live in areas worst affected by low tree cover.
Image: The Woodland Trust - Jill Jennings
The Woodland Trust is calling on the government to address the inequalities in access to trees by committing 20% of its planned tree planting to towns and cities with the lowest tree cover, as part of its England Trees Action Plan, due to be published later this year. The Trust is calling for 20% (£200 million) of the government’s promised £1 billion national investment in trees and woods by 2030 to go to England’s tree deserts.
Data from the report reveals that while roughly 80% of people in England live in urban areas, only a third have tree cover that meets minimum recommended levels. City streets can be up to 12°C warmer than the surrounding countryside. England has one of the lowest tree canopy cover levels in Europe.
There were more than 10,000 heat-related deaths recorded in England from 2020 to 2024, and over 92% of UK housing is predicted to overheat in summertime by 2050. Air pollution, which is also mitigated by tree cover, is a factor in 29,000 to 43,000 early deaths in the UK every year.
Andy Egan, head of conservation policy at the Woodland Trust, said:
“The recent wave of extreme heat highlights the danger and injustice of 11 million people living in tree deserts, where few trees mean that the temperatures on their street could climb 10 degrees higher than that of people in leafier neighbourhoods.
“Everyone deserves trees, for cooler temperatures, cleaner air and better health. The Westminster Government, Metro-Mayors and local authorities need to treat trees as vital infrastructure, protecting mature trees, planting new trees in neighbourhoods with low tree cover, and ensuring all new developments have 30% tree cover.
"We are calling on the government to recognise tree equity as an urgent community and environmental health issue, and commit 20% of its £1 billion budget for tree planting to the tree deserts where the need is greatest."
Other stats included in the report are:
- the average England tree cover is 17.5%, but some neighbourhoods have less than a third of the recommended levels
- towns and cities in the South East have 10% more tree canopy cover than towns and cities in the North East
- only 14% of people have a woodland they can visit within an easy walk (500m) of their home.
You can find out how much tree cover there is in your area by using the Woodland Trust’s postcode checker.
