Council election 2022: Conservatives reveal green plans for Birmingham

The Conservative Party members in Birmingham have unveiled their plans for Birmingham to become one of the greenest cities in the UK.

The plans, released in the run up to the local elections in May, include placing local parks into a Trust which they say will protect them for good.

They also want to revitalise green spaces, boost the tree canopy, add more green spaces and protect wildlife.

A spokesperson for the Birmingham Conservatives said: “Following a decade of Labour control which has seen green space the size of Vatican City lost forever, and many of the parks and green open spaces that remain under threat from development or left to pile up with rubbish, a Conservative run City Council would place our parks into a Trust, working with the Fields in Trust organisation to protect green spaces for good in Birmingham with lasting legal protections.”

The party has highlighted ONS figures highlighting:

• 33% of people are visiting local green spaces and natural spaces more.
• 38% of people saying nature/wildlife is more important than ever to wellbeing.

How would placing public parks into a Trust work?

The Fields In Trust website defines the protection of placing green spaces into a Trust as being “a legal agreement between Fields in Trust and a space’s landowner that they will retain it for use as a green space in perpetuity.

Ownership and management of the space remains locally with the existing landowner, ensuring the local community remains fully involved with the space. Our protection is robust yet flexible to ensure the needs of the community can be met as they evolve in the future.”

What about the other green initiatives?

As part of the announcement today (Friday, April 8) the Conservatives have also set out a plan to see the tree canopy in Birmingham increase from 18% to at least 30% - in line with cities like Houston and Boston.

This would include a commitment to plant a tree for every birth registered within the City.

A party spokesperson said: “This would ensure the next generation of Brummies benefits from increased air quality, reduced flooding risk and an attractive street scene.”

A number of areas across Birmingham have seen trees destroyed, including along bus routes on the Billesley, Moseley and Hall Green border where 14 trees were lost.

The Conservatives added that 61 trees were removed by demolition contractors in order to put in a warm-up track next to the Commonwealth Games stadium in Perry Barr and in the City Centre workmen felled a line of trees in Hurst Street because they were ‘the wrong kind’ and ‘dangerous’.

What have the Conservative Party members said about their plans in their own words?

Commenting on the plans, Local Conservative Candidate Ben Brittain said “The City Council over the last decade have wholeheartedly neglected the green spaces and parks in Birmingham.

“In terms of maintenance they have left the burden to resident formed friends’ groups and in terms of protection they have been more interested in stripping green spaces away from the residents who love them most and handing them to developers for a pretty penny – for example Burford Road Playing Fields remains at risk here in Kingstanding.

“That will end with the Conservatives. Not only will we protect green spaces and parks, but we will also look to roll out a programme of improvement with an ambition to see as many green flag awards in Birmingham as possible.”

Cllr Timothy Huxtable, who leads on Transport and Environment for the Conservatives, said: “Trees are just one part of our plan, but nevertheless a vitally important one.

“We all know the benefit of planting more trees; they absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, reduce stress and improve our mental wellbeing, encourage more social interaction and a stronger sense of community and trees help to improve soils and prevent flooding and erosion.

“We need to be moving forward not backwards as we have been over the last few years – that is why we are pledging a pocket park for each ward increasing the number from 6 to 69. Not only will we create new spaces for trees, but we will also look to use the extensive Canal network we have to plant more trees along the routes.”

Commenting on his Group’s plans, Cllr Robert Alden said "Today’s announcement is the one of many ambitious plans we have for Birmingham. This city has been failed by the Birmingham Labour administration that consistently fails to get the basics right from failed bin collections to our treasured green spaces being built.

“Local Conservatives have the plans to get Birmingham moving in the right direction and deliver change here in our City, while ensuring we get the basics right, the bins collected on time, the streets cleaned and protecting our much loved green spaces."

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