Government funding will restore Northumberland woodland damaged by 'horrific' Storm Arwen

Storm Arwen battered the county in November 2021, causing widespread power outages and felling thousands of trees, with the worst affected areas in the north and on the coast.

Now, councillors have backed £1.5m funding from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) that will enable the team behind the Great Northumberland Forest to support landowners to ‘restore and enchance’ around 300 hectares of damaged woodland across the county.

Eligible landowners will receive financial support to restore small individual woodlands and shelterbelts of trees which were significantly damaged in the storm.

Speaking at the council’s cabinet, leader Coun Glen Sanderson said: “Everyone will remember the damaged caused by this horrific event.

“It wasn’t just the effect on communities, individuals, towns and villages across the county that lost their power for so long – it also had a devastating effect on woodland, particularly in the north and in coastal areas.

“It was to the extent that hundreds and hundreds of trees were blown down. They will need to be replaced and replanted.

“Defra have come up with this £1.5m funding which will be dealt with by the county council and will be open to eligible woodland owners. It will help to repair the damage caused and provide the funding to ensure that effective replanting takes place.”

The council has said that resilient tree species will be planted, enhancing biodiversity and nature recovery as well as improving air quality and reducing carbon emissions in the county – helping Northumberland reach its carbon neutral target by 2030. It is also hoped that landowners will see this as an opportunity to expand their woodland area where appropriate.

The Great Northumberland Forest is a plan to plant millions of trees. There is now a legal target to increase tree canopy and woodland cover to 16.5% by 2050 in England, and this funding will play a part in achieving this.

Areas where woodland is most at risk of being lost will be prioritised.

The cabinet unanimously agreed to include the £1.5m from Government into the capital programme for the Great Northumberland Forest.