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<p>The Government is committed to increasing the number of trees on streets and in
urban environments, in and around the places where most people live and work.</p><p>
</p><p>In 2019, we launched the £10 million Urban Tree Challenge Fund which is providing
matched funding to councils, charities, community groups, private sector bodies and
individuals to plant 130,000 trees, including 20,000 street trees, in our towns and
cities.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, we are giving hundreds of thousands of schoolchildren
across England, mostly in urban areas, the opportunity to plant trees in schools and
local communities, as part of our 1 million Trees for Schools programme in partnership
with the Community Forest Trust and the Woodland Trust.</p><p> </p><p>The Environment
Bill includes new duties on councils to consult when felling street trees and increased
penalties for illegal felling. As part of our 25 Year Environment Plant, we have worked
with stakeholders to develop and publish an Urban Tree Manual and we are developing
policies to ensure all new streets are lined with trees. These measures will help
to ensure councils pick the right trees in terms of biosecurity, value for money,
air quality impact and biodiversity.</p>
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