Wealden Tree, Woodland and Hedgerow Strategy

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Trees, hedgerows, and woodlands are an essential part of Wealden’s natural and historic landscape. They provide valuable habitats for wildlife, improve air quality, help store carbon, and enhance the character of our towns and villages. Wealden is home to nationally important woodlands and extensive hedgerow networks, which play a vital role in supporting nature recovery and climate resilience.

While these important habitats face a range of challenges, including pressures from deer, development, climate change and disease, there are significant opportunities to protect, restore, enhance and expand them. Through positive action and partnership working, we can strengthen habitat connectivity, support biodiversity, and ensure these treasured landscapes continue to thrive for generations to come.

Treeconomics are asking residents and those working locally in community groups to complete a survey to understand attitudes towards trees within the district. This survey is being run by Treeconomics on Survey Monkey. The survey is now live and will close on Sunday 29th November.

The following link takes you to directly to the survey - Treeconomics Survey Link

Please see Treeconomics Privacy Policy here: Treeconomics Privacy Policy


What is the purpose of a new Tree, Woodland and Hedgerow Strategy?

This strategy aims to address these challenges, by protecting and enhancing existing woodlands, improving coordination of woodland management, and reducing habitat fragmentation within and between the Low and High Weald and surrounding landscapes.

It will provide a shared framework for managing existing trees, guiding new planting, supporting biodiversity and climate resilience, and promoting coordinated action between the council, landowners, developers, community groups and residents. Together these actions will help create a thriving, resilient and well connected treescape for future generations.

In order to support the work to create this Strategy, Wealden District Council is working with Treeconomics specialists woodland, forestry and natural resources who bring national and international knowledge to local challenges and opportunities.

The strategy will be developed in consultation with residents, local organisations, landowners and town and parish councillors to ensure it reflects local priorities and knowledge. Through this collaborative approach, the strategy aims to:

  • Protect existing trees and woodlands
  • Guide sustainable tree and woodland expansion
  • Support climate change mitigation and adaptation
  • Improve biodiversity and ecological connectivity
  • Enhance public health and well-being
  • Set standards for long-term management and maintenance
  • Strengthen local character and place making
  • Provide a framework for partnership working and collaboration
  • Support funding bids and investment

What is the scope of this Strategy?

This Strategy is ambitious in its scope and will consider the condition, management and future of trees, hedgerows and woodlands across the whole of the district, on both public and private land. It will assess existing assets, identify opportunities for enhancement, and promote a coordinated approach to protecting and expanding Wealden's treescape.

Recognising that nature does not follow administrative boundaries, the Strategy will also engage organisations operating beyond Wealden to strengthen collaboration at a landscape scale. By working with partners across Sussex and neighbouring areas, it will seek to identify opportunities to connect and enhance efforts that support the long-term resilience of trees, hedgerows and woodlands.

Through engagement with organisations such as the High Weald National Landscape, South Downs National Park, Ashdown Forest, Sussex Wildlife Trust, East Sussex County Council, The Woodland Trust and the Environment Agency. The Strategy will draw on specialist knowledge and expertise in the management of nationally and internationally important landscapes and habitats. This collaborative approach will help ensure that local action contributes to wider environmental objectives.

In addition, this strategy will also focus on the land owned and directly managed by Wealden District Council, identifying opportunities to strengthen tree protection, increasing appropriate tree planting, improve woodland management, and enhance connectivity between designated wildlife sites, woodlands, hedgerows and urban green spaces across the district.

How will the strategy be created?

Over the next few months, Wealden District Council’s Climate Change team in partnership with Treeconomics will be running a series of in-person workshops with key stakeholders, community groups, regional and national bodies.

These workshops will focus on how the unique landscape and ecology in Wealden can be reflected in this strategy. Through these sessions we will gain insights from landowners, community groups, town and parish councils as well as planners and representatives from East Sussex County Council, Water Catchment Partnerships, Environment Agency and the Forestry Commission.

What happens next?

Alongside these workshops, Treeconomics are asking residents and those working locally in community groups to complete a survey to understand attitudes towards trees within the district.

This survey is being run by Treeconomics on Survey Monkey.

The following link takes you to directly to the survey - Treeconomics Survey Link

The survey is now live and will close on Sunday 29th November.

Please see Treeconomics Privacy Policy here: Treeconomics Privacy Policy

Please see our privacy notice for further information about how the Climate Change team process data. Climate Change Privacy Policy

How will taking part in a survey contribute to the Strategy?

Responses from residents and those representing organisations working in Wealden submitted as part this survey will provide a valuable insight into how people interact, experience and value trees and woodlands in their daily life across the district. The information gathered through this survey will help shape the Strategy's priorities, objectives and actions, ensuring they are practical, locally relevant and reflective of the needs and aspirations of communities across the district.

How will the Survey results, workshop findings and finalised Strategy be shared with Wealden residents?

The Survey and workshop findings will be integrated into the final Strategy, which will be published following approval by Wealden District Council. We expect the final Strategy document to be available in March/April 2026.

Updates will be shared on our Wealden Climate Facebook page and Wealden District Council social media channels and the Wealden Weekly e-newsletter as well as online. The Strategy document will be made available to view on this page as well as our Council webpages.


Trees, hedgerows, and woodlands are an essential part of Wealden’s natural and historic landscape. They provide valuable habitats for wildlife, improve air quality, help store carbon, and enhance the character of our towns and villages. Wealden is home to nationally important woodlands and extensive hedgerow networks, which play a vital role in supporting nature recovery and climate resilience.

While these important habitats face a range of challenges, including pressures from deer, development, climate change and disease, there are significant opportunities to protect, restore, enhance and expand them. Through positive action and partnership working, we can strengthen habitat connectivity, support biodiversity, and ensure these treasured landscapes continue to thrive for generations to come.

Treeconomics are asking residents and those working locally in community groups to complete a survey to understand attitudes towards trees within the district. This survey is being run by Treeconomics on Survey Monkey. The survey is now live and will close on Sunday 29th November.

The following link takes you to directly to the survey - Treeconomics Survey Link

Please see Treeconomics Privacy Policy here: Treeconomics Privacy Policy


What is the purpose of a new Tree, Woodland and Hedgerow Strategy?

This strategy aims to address these challenges, by protecting and enhancing existing woodlands, improving coordination of woodland management, and reducing habitat fragmentation within and between the Low and High Weald and surrounding landscapes.

It will provide a shared framework for managing existing trees, guiding new planting, supporting biodiversity and climate resilience, and promoting coordinated action between the council, landowners, developers, community groups and residents. Together these actions will help create a thriving, resilient and well connected treescape for future generations.

In order to support the work to create this Strategy, Wealden District Council is working with Treeconomics specialists woodland, forestry and natural resources who bring national and international knowledge to local challenges and opportunities.

The strategy will be developed in consultation with residents, local organisations, landowners and town and parish councillors to ensure it reflects local priorities and knowledge. Through this collaborative approach, the strategy aims to:

  • Protect existing trees and woodlands
  • Guide sustainable tree and woodland expansion
  • Support climate change mitigation and adaptation
  • Improve biodiversity and ecological connectivity
  • Enhance public health and well-being
  • Set standards for long-term management and maintenance
  • Strengthen local character and place making
  • Provide a framework for partnership working and collaboration
  • Support funding bids and investment

What is the scope of this Strategy?

This Strategy is ambitious in its scope and will consider the condition, management and future of trees, hedgerows and woodlands across the whole of the district, on both public and private land. It will assess existing assets, identify opportunities for enhancement, and promote a coordinated approach to protecting and expanding Wealden's treescape.

Recognising that nature does not follow administrative boundaries, the Strategy will also engage organisations operating beyond Wealden to strengthen collaboration at a landscape scale. By working with partners across Sussex and neighbouring areas, it will seek to identify opportunities to connect and enhance efforts that support the long-term resilience of trees, hedgerows and woodlands.

Through engagement with organisations such as the High Weald National Landscape, South Downs National Park, Ashdown Forest, Sussex Wildlife Trust, East Sussex County Council, The Woodland Trust and the Environment Agency. The Strategy will draw on specialist knowledge and expertise in the management of nationally and internationally important landscapes and habitats. This collaborative approach will help ensure that local action contributes to wider environmental objectives.

In addition, this strategy will also focus on the land owned and directly managed by Wealden District Council, identifying opportunities to strengthen tree protection, increasing appropriate tree planting, improve woodland management, and enhance connectivity between designated wildlife sites, woodlands, hedgerows and urban green spaces across the district.

How will the strategy be created?

Over the next few months, Wealden District Council’s Climate Change team in partnership with Treeconomics will be running a series of in-person workshops with key stakeholders, community groups, regional and national bodies.

These workshops will focus on how the unique landscape and ecology in Wealden can be reflected in this strategy. Through these sessions we will gain insights from landowners, community groups, town and parish councils as well as planners and representatives from East Sussex County Council, Water Catchment Partnerships, Environment Agency and the Forestry Commission.

What happens next?

Alongside these workshops, Treeconomics are asking residents and those working locally in community groups to complete a survey to understand attitudes towards trees within the district.

This survey is being run by Treeconomics on Survey Monkey.

The following link takes you to directly to the survey - Treeconomics Survey Link

The survey is now live and will close on Sunday 29th November.

Please see Treeconomics Privacy Policy here: Treeconomics Privacy Policy

Please see our privacy notice for further information about how the Climate Change team process data. Climate Change Privacy Policy

How will taking part in a survey contribute to the Strategy?

Responses from residents and those representing organisations working in Wealden submitted as part this survey will provide a valuable insight into how people interact, experience and value trees and woodlands in their daily life across the district. The information gathered through this survey will help shape the Strategy's priorities, objectives and actions, ensuring they are practical, locally relevant and reflective of the needs and aspirations of communities across the district.

How will the Survey results, workshop findings and finalised Strategy be shared with Wealden residents?

The Survey and workshop findings will be integrated into the final Strategy, which will be published following approval by Wealden District Council. We expect the final Strategy document to be available in March/April 2026.

Updates will be shared on our Wealden Climate Facebook page and Wealden District Council social media channels and the Wealden Weekly e-newsletter as well as online. The Strategy document will be made available to view on this page as well as our Council webpages.


Page last updated: 28 Oct 2026, 12:44 PM