Aged and Veteran Trees - February 2020

Lane with trees

Many thanks to those who have contacted me about aged and veteran trees.

I understand and share your concerns regarding protection for our ancient woodlands and our aged and veteran trees, such as Savernake Forest in our Constituency. 

That is why I am pleased that the final revised version of the National Planning Policy Framework, sets out that “development resulting in the loss or deterioration of irreplaceable habitats (such as ancient woodland and ancient or veteran trees) should be refused, unless there are wholly exceptional reasons”. This will ensure that these irreplaceable areas are not lost for future generations. 

I am confident that the revised version of the framework protects our ancient woodland and our aged and veteran trees for decades to come. 

I will be closely following work in this area as it progresses. 

You may also be interested in

NHS and social care

The NHS is one of the foundations of our society. We depend on it at every stage of our lives. The Government has made the biggest investment in the NHS in its history, increasing its budget by 45% since 2019.

Environment, Food & Rural Affairs

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) is the UK government department responsible for safeguarding our natural environment, supporting our world-leading food and farming industry, and sustaining a thriving rural economy.