CARMARTHENSHIRE County Council is actively looking for areas where new trees can be planted to help make up for the loss of trees that are being affected by ash dieback disease.

Ash dieback is a fungal disease which is having a devastating effect on ash trees across the UK – it is thought around 95 per cent of ash trees could die from the disease.

The council is currently having to remove affected trees for which it is responsible along A and B roads throughout the county as the trees are at risk of falling posing a serious risk to the public. Other landowners are also having to take similar action.

As a result, the council is now identifying areas in the county where new woodlands can be created. As well as helping to make up for the loss of ash trees, these will bring a number of other benefits.

These new woodlands will, in time, absorb carbon dioxide, improve air quality and soil structure and support biodiversity by providing new wildlife habitats.

It is also part of the council’s climate change action plan which details how it will cut its carbon footprint and become net zero carbon by 2030.

Executive Board Member for Biodiversity Cllr Philip Hughes said: “It is thought around 95 per cent of ash trees could be affected by ash dieback disease and this will have a big impact in the landscape. To mitigate for this loss, we are identifying opportunities for planting trees and new woodlands which will also bring additional benefits such as new wildlife habitats and carbon-sequestration.

“If we find land that is suitable for planting, we can progress an application to Welsh Government for a woodland creation grant.

“We have four sites that we are actively progressing at the moment and this is an area where we will be doing more work in the future.”