Tree Planting Opportunity Assessments
Supporting Grant Funding in Ashford
ARBORICULTURE & GIS
Client
Ashford Borough Council / Aspire Landscape Management
Project Type
Strategic planning & Environmental heat-mapping
Location
Ashford, Kent
TMA Environmental Consultants was appointed by Ashford Borough Council, to develop a strategic tree planting opportunity heatmap across the borough. The project was driven by ambitions aligned with the Queen’s Green Canopy initiative, with a target to support the planting of approximately 135,000 trees.
Overview
The project involved the creation of a borough-wide tree planting opportunity heat map using advanced Geographic Information Systems (GIS). TMA analysed multiple open-source datasets to identify suitable planting locations, considering environmental, social, and land-use factors. The outcome was a dynamic web mapping tool designed to guide long-term green infrastructure planning and investment.
Challenges
Key challenges included integrating diverse datasets of varying resolution and accuracy, balancing competing land-use priorities, and ensuring the outputs were both strategic and practical. Additional constraints such as existing infrastructure, high-grade agricultural land, and urban development required careful consideration to avoid conflicts and maximise planting success.
Data gaps and inconsistencies between sources required validation and, where necessary, interpolation to ensure coverage across the study area. Managing edge effects between datasets and ensuring that classifications remained consistent across administrative boundaries were also important considerations during processing.
Approach
TMA utilised a data-driven GIS methodology, combining seven environmental and socio-economic datasets into a raster-based heat map (10m x 10m resolution). Each dataset was scored against defined criteria, including woodland and green space deprivation, biodiversity opportunity areas, flood mitigation potential, and agricultural land classification.
Each dataset was reclassified to a standard scoring scale before being combined using a weighted overlay approach. Weightings were assigned based on project objectives and stakeholder input, ensuring alignment with local environmental priorities. Raster processing techniques were used to maintain spatial consistency and enable efficient analysis across the full extent of the borough.
A constraints layer was applied to exclude unsuitable areas such as roads, buildings, and existing woodland. The final model categorised planting suitability into five tiers, from “Very Low” to “Very High.” Outputs were integrated into TMA’s EnviroMap platform, enabling real-time data access, reporting, and stakeholder collaboration as part of a comprehensive Tree Planting Opportunity Assessment.
Outcome
The project delivered a robust, evidence-based tool to support strategic decision making for tree planting and supported funding application and allocation. It provides a clear spatial framework for prioritising areas of greatest environmental and social benefit, including biodiversity enhancement, flood alleviation, and improved access to green space.
The heat map establishes a baseline for monitoring progress and supports future policy development, ensuring Ashford’s ambitious tree planting targets can measured over time.
The dataset can be updated as new information becomes available, allowing the model to remain current and responsive to changes in land use, policy, or environmental conditions.
