These ‘tree deserts’ are particularly pronounced in the north of England, where 15 of the country’s 20 worst-performing towns are located. Indeed, the north-east has none of the best-performing 100 towns for tree cover, making it the most at-risk English region.
Clacton-on-Sea in Essex is the worst-performing town or city in England, while Holyhead in North Wales and Omagh in Northern Ireland are also high up the list, making them among the UK’s most exposed urban areas.
Conversely, five of the best-performing urban areas for tree cover are in London, while 11 are in the south-east of England.
This North-South divide exposes a lack of “tree equity”, according to the researchers. Across the 20 worst-performing towns and cities in the UK, 1.3 million of the 1.5 million residents live in areas with critically low tree access.
“These new figures reveal an injustice that is silently affecting the health of millions of people,” said Caroline Gray, Woodland Trust tree equity programme officer. "More than a million people in the UK are living in these tree deserts – places of critically low tree equity where communities are missing out on the many benefits trees provide.
“That can mean hotter homes and streets, dirtier air, higher rates of asthma and heart disease, and poorer physical and mental health. These challenges affect daily life in countless ways and, combined with wider inequities, can even contribute to lower life expectancy.”
Indeed, research shows that scarcity of trees puts residents at risk of higher levels of stress, anxiety, depression and poor physical health. Trees in towns and cities also reduce air pollution, flooding and rising temperatures.
Studies have also shown that greater tree cover can create environments where businesses want to invest and people want to live and work, as well as improving ecosystems and boosting biodiversity.
Furthermore, there is strong public support for addressing these inequalities, with a Woodland Trust survey of more than 2,000 urban residents last year finding that 88% believe everyone should have fair access to trees and the benefits they provide, no matter where they live.
"Trees in towns and cities aren’t just things of beauty and inspiration,” Gray continued. “Trees reduce levels of anxiety and depression. They clean the air we breathe. They protect us from extreme heat and flooding. Urban trees make our neighbourhoods quieter and safer and give us a sense of pride in where we live. They can even increase our property value and make homes easier to sell.
"Tree equity must be embedded into urban forest planning, and that doesn't just mean planting. Plans must also include caring for and protecting both newly planted and existing trees, to ensure they continue to thrive and improve the quality of life for generations to come."
Check how your area ranks here: Trees For All: Are You Living Without Trees? - Woodland Trust
Image credit: Shutterstock
Chris Seekings is the Deputy Editor of ISEP’s Transform magazine, which is published biomonthly for ISEP members. Chris’s role involves writing sustainability-related news, features and interviews, as well as helping to plan and manage the magazine’s other day-to-day activities.
