SOUTH West Water is announcing ambitious plans to plant at least 100,000 trees over the next 10 years.

The pledge comes ahead of National Tree Week (November 23 to December 1).

The water company will work with key partners to plant trees on land provided by partners such as the National Trust and The Wildlife Trusts as well as its own property.

The Woodland Trust has agreed to help identify sites and manage the planting programme once it is developed. South West Water also anticipates working with a wide range of delivery partners such as local councils, Viridor, The Wildlife Trusts, South West Lakes Trust and Westcountry Rivers Trust.

South West Water’s Head of Environment, Perry Hobbs, said: “’This is an initial trial phase to see how we can work with landowners and delivery partners and we hope to significantly increase this figure over the next 10 years.

“Trees bring both environmental and well-being benefits. They help combat climate change, prevent flooding and add to the natural beauty of our region.

“We take our commitment both to the planet and to the local environment very seriously, and I personally look forward to seeing more trees in the South West of England in the years ahead.”

In 2020, South West Water will start to plant broad leaf native trees at Park Lake, a post mining restoration site on Bodmin Moor, which will stabilise the site and encourage wildlife. The company also plans to restore woodlands next to reservoirs and plant trees in the context of peatland restoration and natural flood management.

The initiative supports the water industry’s broader goal of achieving a carbon neutral water sector by 2030.

The Government’s committee on climate change aims to increase UK woodland coverage from 13 per cent of land to 17 per cent to help meet the target for “net zero” carbon emissions by 2050.

South West Water and South West Lakes Trust will be holding a celebration event for trees at Burrator Discovery Centre on Thursday, November 28 to mark the successful natural restoration of native woodland at this reservoir that has taken place over the last 10 years. It will be a chance to see a broad-leafed woodland that has been established through the generosity of our wonderful volunteers and without the use of tree guards or chemicals.

For more information see: https://www.swlakestrust.org.uk/burrator or email: [email protected] .