Local Authority Treescapes Fund Opens for 2022

Funding available to local authorities in England to increase tree planting and natural regeneration in local communities.

Defra has announced the next funding round of the Local Authority Treescapes Fund (LATF) to increase tree planting and natural regeneration in local communities.

The fund is part of the Government’s Nature for Climate Fund and will directly contribute to achieving tree planting targets.

The LATF provides funding for the establishment of trees in non-woodland settings. These may include parks, riparian zones, copses and shelterbelts, as well as green lanes, small linear woodlands alongside roads and footpaths, and vacant and disused community spaces.

Planting and protecting new trees that are intended to grow into mature standards within hedgerows is also permitted (though the creation of new hedgerows is not).

The fund will help the nation build back greener from the pandemic and will target landscapes that have been neglected in the past, ecologically damaged or affected by tree diseases like ash dieback – with ash being the most common species of tree found in non-woodland locations.

Funding will be available to all local authorities, via applications from top tier authorities.

Local authorities are strongly encouraged to work with other organisations, NGOs, community groups and private individuals to deliver tree planting and natural regenerations.

A total of £5.4 million will be available this year (2022/23). The fund expects that up to 100 grants worth £50,000 to £300,000 will be available.

The deadline for applications is 31 May 2022.

(This report was the subject of a GRANTfinder Newsflash.)