BRADFORD Council is to receive a £15,000 share of regional Government funding to support tree planting across the district.

The money will help fund an officer to push forward the Tree for Every Child project.

Under the initiative, it’s aimed to plant around 55,000 trees – one for every primary school child in the district – over the next two years.

Among the tasks of the new officer will be identifying suitable sites for planting.

The Government cash will be match-funded by the council, from its Tree for Every Child budget.

And the work will in turn enable the council to access further Government funds, from a £3.7 million Trees for Climate package awarded to the White Rose Forest – one of ten community forests across England. It covers West and North Yorkshire.

Councillor Sarah Ferriby, Bradford Council’s executive member for healthy people and places, said: “We are delighted to get a share of this funding, which will help us drive forward our Tree for Every Child programme.

“It will mean we can plan how best to create new woodland which has benefits for our carbon levels, as well as our health, wellbeing and enjoyment of outdoor spaces.”

Guy Thompson, programme director for the White Rose Forest, praised the Tree for Every Child project.

He added: “The initiative is one of several important tree-planting projects that will help us continue to grow the White Rose Forest this winter, thanks to the Government’s Trees for Climate funding.

“As the community forest for North and West Yorkshire, the White Rose Forest works with landowners across the region to deliver local tree-planting programmes that will improve our natural environment, reduce flood risks and help combat climate change.”