YW chief at Todmorden for million tree planting pledge

Yorkshire Water Chief Executive Richard Flint has made an ambitious pledge on behalf of the company to plant one million trees across its land in Yorkshire over the next ten years in a bid to reduce flood risk, offset carbon emissions and support the creation of a Northern Forest.

By The Newsroom

Published 1st Feb 2018, 10:16 GMT

Updated 1st Feb 2018, 10:20 GMT

Gorpley planting: Treesponability volunteers Alex Tull and Eddie Thornton at work

Mr Flint was at Gorpley reservoir above Todmorden, where the company is already working with volunteers from the local community to plant up to 200,000 trees as part of a pilot Natural Flood Management scheme. Work at Gorpley is part of an initiative to help slow the flow of water during flood events like the devastating floods of Boxing Day 2015, which had a massive impact on the Calder Valley.

The planting of 200,000 trees at Gorpley was originally due to take ten years, but as part of the announcement Yorkshire Water has also pledged to dramatically accelerate this scheme by aiming to plant all the trees over the next two years. Mr Flint said: “Here at Gorpley we are working with Treesponsibility to involve local volunteers in the planting of the trees and I hope that the woodlands we create will provide a lasting legacy for communities across the region.”