Dudley Council’s cabinet has approved £50,000 to increase tree coverage across the borough.

It will be planting trees along the borough’s highways as well as increasing canopy coverage in six wards which have less coverage.

The council is also taking part in the Queen’s Green Canopy project, by planting thousands more trees across the borough. The authority is working with a range of partners and friends groups to undertake projects such as restocking ancient hedgerows, planting trees and thousands of whips in a range of green spaces across the borough, with whips forming the majority of the planting.

The authority is also working with friends groups and Severn Trent Water who are creating 72 tennis-court-sized Tiny Forests in urban areas across the West Midlands, which will play an important role in supporting environmental education across the region.

So far four tiny forests have been planted, with a fifth scheduled for the end of the month. Councillor Karen Shakespeare, cabinet member for public realm, said:

“We have always been committed to increasing our tree planting and canopy coverage across the borough and I’m delighted this funding has been approved.

“We’ve been working with friends groups and schools to undertake community planting, with more than 3000 whips already planted through community planting and Tiny Forest events and we look forward to continuing to plant during the planting season.”