Opposition councillors have welcomed the adoption of North Yorkshire Council’s new Tree and Woodland Policy — but warned that it lacks the urgency and resources needed to deliver its ambitions.
Liberal Democrats on the authority said they supported the policy’s aims but expressed concern after being told that the detailed Tree and Woodland Strategy, which will set out delivery plans, priorities and targets, could take up to two years to complete.
Liberal Democrat councillor Andrew Murday said the policy represented “a positive and much-needed step forward” but argued that the council needed to move more quickly.
“The detailed strategy that will set out what happens, where and when may not arrive until 2028,” he said.
“North Yorkshire Council was created in 2023, so six years is a very long time to wait for a fully developed plan on such an important environmental issue.
“If we’re serious about protecting and expanding our tree canopy, we need to move faster.”
Councillors also questioned how the policy would be delivered in practice, saying officers had confirmed there would be no additional enforcement staff or extra funding.
“While this policy is big on ambition, it is much thinner on the nuts and bolts of delivery,” Cllr Murday said.
“Once inflation is taken into account, that means fewer real-world resources than we have today. That’s deeply disappointing. If we’re serious about protecting our trees and green spaces, we need the people, resources and political will to back up the fine words.”
The party is calling on the council to accelerate work on the strategy and publish clear targets, milestones and delivery plans as soon as possible.
In response, North Yorkshire Council said agreeing the policy first would provide a consistent framework before detailed plans were developed.
Executive member for highways and transportation, Councillor Malcolm Taylor, whose responsibilities include parks and countryside services, said the authority had acted quickly by bringing together existing arrangements into “one modern approach” based on national guidance and good practice from other councils.
He said the policy would help manage risks, protect important trees and ensure more communities benefited from trees, while supporting the council’s county-wide tree and woodland team.
While overall resources remained unchanged, Cllr Taylor said budgets were being used more effectively to meet legal duties and deliver the work.
He added that the policy also laid the foundations for the forthcoming Tree and Woodland Strategy, alongside plans covering risk management, maintenance standards and the impact of ash dieback.
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