Issue - meetings

[To seek approval to plant sites as part of the Commonwealth Legacy Forest, sponsored by Severn Trent Water]

1.      That the Council support the principle of the Severn Trent Commonwealth Legacy Forest and proposing sites for both the Legacy Forest and Tiny Forests on land owned or managed by the Council.

2.      That authority be delegated to the Cabinet Member for City Environment and Climate Change, in consultation with the Director of Governance, to sign any relevant agreements to enable planting to take place on the proposed sites, should they be accepted and the terms of planting be considered acceptable to the Council.

3.      That it be noted that the report seeks delegated authority in the case of sites being proposed and accepted but does not commit to Council to providing sites for the Commonwealth Legacy Forest or Tiny Forests, should sites not be identified and selected or should the terms of planting not be acceptable to the Council.

Councillor Steve Evans requested Cabinet support the principle of the Severn Trent Commonwealth Legacy Forest, including Tiny Forests that would complement the Council’s wider support for the Commonwealth Games and the benefits they would bring to the city and region. He also sought delegated authority to enter into any relevant agreements to enable planting to take place on proposed sites should they be accepted and the terms of planting. In doing so he reported that the Legacy Forest and Tiny Forests would support action the Council had already taken through the Wolverhampton Tree and Woodland Strategy, the Climate Emergency Declaration; planting of over 2,000 trees in a number of open spaces across the city during 2020-2021 with plans to plant a further 20,000 trees during 2021/2022; and planting of the second Tiny Forest in the city at Moseley Road Open Space in Bilston.

Cabinet commended Severn Trent and the Council on the continuing campaign to green the city as far as possible and to make the city carbon neutral.

Resolved:

1.    That the Council support the principle of the Severn Trent Commonwealth Legacy Forest and proposing sites for both the Legacy Forest and Tiny Forests on land owned or managed by the Council.

2.    That authority be delegated to the Cabinet Member for City Environment and Climate Change, in consultation with the Director of Governance, to sign any relevant agreements to enable planting to take place on the proposed sites, should they be accepted and the terms of planting be considered acceptable to the Council.

3.    That it be noted that the report seeks delegated authority in the case of sites being proposed and accepted but does not commit to Council to providing sites for the Commonwealth Legacy Forest or Tiny Forests, should sites not be identified and selected or should the terms of planting not be acceptable to the Council.