Tree-plant plan 'size of 50 football pitches'

Plans to plant trees to cover an area equivalent to 50 football pitches are to be discussed by a council.

North Tyneside Council wants to increase its tree coverage by 35 hectares by 2029.

Brunswick Green, in Wideopen, has been identified as an appropriate site for 550 tree saplings that could help filter pollution from the A1 and create new habitats for wildlife, council documents showed.

The authority said there were "significant funding opportunities" for tree planting thanks to the creation of the North East Community Forest (NECF).

The NECF, overseen by local councils, charities and other partners, is a 30-year funded project with plans to plant tens of thousands of trees throughout the region.

North Tyneside Council has already planted 24 hectares of woodland - about the size of 34 pitches - over the last four years.

The authority estimates the total tree cover in the area is about 705 hectares - 8.5% of the borough, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

The proposal is due to be discussed at a meeting of the council next week.

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