Wirral is set to double its tree count by 2030 as part of the borough’s plans to combat the climate emergency.

That is according to Cllr Liz Grey, Wirral Council’s cabinet member for the environment, who says she wants as much ‘breathing space’ for wildlife as possible.

There are currently 66,000 trees in Wirral, excluding private land such as gardens.

She said: “My absolute priority is tackling the climate emergency.

“I’m really excited about these plans. We’re running a public consultation to finalise them, but we will at least double Wirral’s tree coverage by 2030.”

The Government is committed to planting 11 million trees by 2022, as trees are one of the most effective forms of reducing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

In Wirral, some progress has been made. Just last month, 910 trees were planted in Walker Park, Prenton.

However, much more needs to be done.

Wirral’s greenbelt is protected for 15 years Wirral Council has pledged to not build on the greenbelt at all over the next 15 years, but improving the borough’s environment requires much more than that.

The chief concern is how green space is managed.

Tree planting is a great start, but it little things can also build up to make a big impact.

Cllr Pat Cleary, the leader of the Greens in Wirral Council, is calling on the local authority to stop cutting grass verges.

He said: “Let’s use that space to plant trees and promote biodiversity.

“Small green spaces like grass verges can really enhance biodiversity. In Rotherham, the council have let verges grow and wild flowers have blossomed. It looks really good.”

Parks and grass areas at the side of football pitches can also be centres of biodiversity and carbon capture.

Cllr Cleary suggests the council could go further than simply letting grass grow and actually plant wildflower seeds itself, which would increase carbon capture, as well as promoting biodiversity and the area’s attractiveness.

Cllr Grey added Wirral Council is moving at pace with ideas similar to Cllr Cleary’s.

A pollinators plan is about to be released, which will involve cutting grass verges less and improving mini-parks around the borough.

Cllr Grey said she wants as much “breathing space” for wildlife and possible and that green space protection is vital to ensuring this.

‘You don’t create beauty by building all over brownfield space’ ‘Urban intensification’ sounds like another piece of council jargon, but this is Wirral Council’s plan to build 12,000 homes in urban areas of the borough, centred around Wallasey and Birkenhead.

An issue many councillors have with this is that it could lead to ‘concrete jungles’ where little green space exists in a maize of crammed together houses.

Cllr Grey insisted this would not happen. She said: “You don’t create beauty by building all over brownfield space.

“We want to build where people want to build. We are asking people to identify green space within brownfield sites that they want to be protected.”

This may go some way to allaying the fears of councillors such as Lib Dem Stuart Kelly, who said: “Kids in the north end [of Birkenhead] are just as entitled to play on a piece of green space as kids in Hoylake.”

But given the large influx of people to the urban east of the borough, Cllr Grey said it would be possible to develop new small green spaces.

She mentioned squares of grass outside people’s homes, things such as that which will create a level of amenity and potential for biodiversity on a micro level.

Cllr Cleary welcomed the commitment to protect the greenbelt, but said transport issues were key to ensuring a concrete jungle would be is avoided.

He said if less space is given for car parking in new developments and better public transport is developed, space will be opened up for new green spaces among the thousands of new houses.

This could go some way towards addressing the carbon expended in bringing more homes and more people to an area.

One innovation is the ‘streetcar’, Port of Liverpool operator Peel has proposed for Wirral Waters, which would mean residents can get from Wirral Waters to Hamilton Square station without using a car.

Cllr Cleary is campaigning hard for the council to support this idea, but they are currently withholding their support until they it is affordable.

What can you do?

There are many things you can do yourself to help combat the climate emergency.

Cllr Cleary said one way to help out is by having a small pond at the bottom of your garden.

Birds, insects and a plethora of other wildlife gather at ponds, creating a huge amount of biodiversity and capturing carbon as well.

Another thing you can do is plant a fruit tree. Growing your own food has a hugely positive impact on the climate, helping to reduce the reliance on the polluting global food economy and of course it represents another carbon capturing tree.

But what if you have not got a garden?

Cllr Cleary said people living in flats can still do their bit. Having a herb plant on the window sill makes an environmental contribution and it is another way you can grow your own food.

These measures take on a greater degree of importance, given the crisis of collapsing biodiversity we currently face, which is exacerbated by urban sprawl and the lack of wildlife in urban areas.

All these things can help address the climate emergency, but Cllr Cleary was clear that what matters most is the decisions of politicians.

It is the ‘political will’ to act to address the biggest challenge our species has ever faced which will decide if we come out the other side.