The Horticultural Trades Association's Greening the UK campaign - which Johnsons of Whixley emphatically supports - has received endorsement from key environmental and planning organisations following the publication of its report, 'Local Authorities' Commitment to Urban Planting'. The Environment Agency, CABE Space, the Planning Officers Society and Design for London have all expressed their backing for the campaign's aims and objectives. The campaign was also endorsed by the Rt Hon Hazel Blears MP in her foreword for the recent publication.

Also, since the campaign began, ten Local Authorities so far have adopted a Greening the UK model motion to encourage more positivity from their planners and eleven more are including it in their Local Development Framework, and all recipients have signalled their comfort with it. Over 60 MPs signed the Greening the UK Early Day Motion during the last parliament. The campaign highlights the 50 percent reduction in planting on approved planning applications in the last decade. A further 50 percent of this planting is never actually delivered by developers and goes unenforced by Local Authorities.

Greening the UK believes that developers have traditionally seen green planting as an expense that can be trimmed rather than a commercially necessary investment. In the coming year the campaign will produce further concrete actions to support councils in tackling this problem, with an amenity guide produced by Chris Baines and training sessions designed to help Local Authorities make their areas reach the highest environmental standards.

The full report can be downloaded from www.the-hta.org.uk/greeningtheuk or from our links page.