Planting Statistics: Forestry industry calls for “step change” on tree planting in England

New figures published today show woodland creation in England was down from 5,770 hectares (ha) in 2024/25 to 5,250 ha in 2025/26. Productive conifer planting also dipped slightly to 670 ha over the same period - less than 13% of the total, despite Forestry Commission's desire to push productive conifer planting up closer to one-third of total new woodland creation.

UK-wide, a dip in planting in Scotland and Wales too meant overall woodland creation was down, with just 13,480 ha planted compared to 15,690 ha in 2024/25.

John Bruce, Confor National Manager for England, said: “These figures are very poor, and hugely disappointing after good progress last year - and are not the direction of travel we need to increase our timber security.

“We had hoped some of the positive changes made in recent years were beginning to bear fruit, but unfortunately the rhetoric is not following through into the reality of new planting. We need a real step change and a focus on making this happen.

“We had hoped the amount of productive conifer planting - and the proportion of total planting - would be up, but the slight drop is a blow. And the proportion remains well below the Forestry Commission ambition, referenced in the National Wood Strategy by its former Chair Sir William Worsley, for at least 30% of new woodland creation to comprise productive conifer species.”

John said the National Wood Strategy for England and the Timber in Construction Roadmap (TiCR) helped put timber supply and productive forestry back on the agenda, with a growing recognition within government that productive forestry has a key role to play in climate resilience, economic growth and the decarbonisation of housebuilding.

He added: “Around 95% of the timber used in the UK is softwood, yet productive conifers still make up a relatively small proportion of new woodland creation in England. Forestry Commission analysis presented to the Westminster All-Party Parliamentary Group on Forestry and Timber Security by former chair Sir William Worsley suggests England may require around 150,000 hectares of new productive conifer woodland by 2050. This would require around 6,000 hectares of productive conifer planting every year between now and 2050."

John noted that the challenge was reinforced by the recently published 50-year softwood availability forecast, which highlights a significant decline in future timber availability from England’s forests over coming decades. He added: “If we want to build more with wood and improve our long-term timber security, we need to continue increasing the supply of homegrown timber.

"On a positive note, there is a much more constructive conversation taking place around productive forestry than there was a few years ago. A joint industry and government Task Group is now being established to identify practical ways to unlock greater investment in productive forestry. The challenge now is creating the conditions that allow larger-scale investment in productive forestry while maintaining the high environmental standards expected of modern woodland creation schemes.”