FORESTRY businesses and the UK’s leading woodland conservation charity have urged the Government to ensure tens of millions more trees are planted in England.

The joint approach from trade body Confor and the Woodland Trust was presented to MPs on the All Parliamentary Forestry Group on Wednesday.

They want the Government to plant 7,000 hectares (ha) of woodland – around 15m trees – every year until 2020; increasing to 10,000 ha per year when the next Government is elected in 2020.

Currently only 2,500ha a year are planted.

The two organisations said increased planting would deliver on a wide range of important environmental and economic aims.

It would increase jobs and growth in the rural economy, create native woods that protect and buffer England’s ancient woodlands, and enhance the countryside and wildlife.

More trees would help reduce the UK’s carbon emissions as trees soak up carbon and wood products store it. Carefully located tree planting can also reduce flood risks and improve water quality, while accessible woodland provides leisure opportunities from walking to mountain biking to bird-watching.

Stuart Goodall, Confor chief executive, said: "Forest cover in England is only around 10 per cent – lower than the UK average of 13 per cent and way below the EU average of 38 per cent.

"We welcome the Government’s commitment to plant 11 million trees in the lifetime of the parliament, but this barely maintains the current low levels of planting at 2,500 ha per year.

"The government’s aspiration in 2013 was an annual planting target in England of 5,000 ha per annum so it’s clear much more needs to be done."

He said 80 per cent of timber is imported so more planting would help cut that figure and reduce the balance of payments. It would also help fight illegal logging in the developing world.

But Mr Goodall said: "We need to act now as productive trees take 30–40 years to mature to a point where they are ready to be harvested to provide a range of products we use in our everyday lives – from fencing and decking to pallets and furniture right through to sandwich wrappers."

Austin Brady, director of conservation and external affairs at The Woodland Trust, said ancient woodlands and trees were irreplaceable and part of the national identity.

"New native woodland can contribute to buffering these existing areas of habitat, and help create bigger, better and more resilient habitat networks," he said.

"Making use of high quality green space has been shown to improve healthy lifestyles and promote both physical and mental health.

"Together, Confor and The Woodland Trust want to see more woods and trees across many of our landscapes. We believe that putting more of the right trees in the right places can deliver real gains for society – environmentally and economically."