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November 2025 Special Feature Professional Groundscare Supplement
BALI urges Government to back £38bn landscaping sector The British Association of Landscape Industries (BALI) has called on the Chancellor to recognise the economic and environmental importance of the UK’s landscaping sector in its 2025 Autumn Budget Statement, setting out a series of fi scal and policy measures that could unlock billions in growth and help deliver key government priorities. In its official Budget Submission to the government, BALI highlights the landscaping sector’s substantial contribution to the UK economy, adding £38 billion in GDP and supporting 722,000 jobs, while supporting the creation of sustainable, liveable spaces across the country. The Association further points out to the Chancellor that landscaping as a sector underpins the £6.6bn GVA garden tourism sector, which is responsible for a huge amount of international tourism. In fact, visiting gardens and parks was found to be the most common activity by
international tourists when visiting the UK. However, the Association warns that escalating costs, skills shortages, and planning barriers are stifling growth and threatening the sector’s ability to deliver on national objectives such as housebuilding, flood resilience, and biodiversity enhancement. “Our industry is a cornerstone of the UK’s green economy, supporting not only jobs and growth but also the environmental priorities this Government rightly champions,” said BALI’s Head of Policy and Public Affairs, Amy Cobbett. “Therefore, this Autumn Budget is critical for many in the landscape industry, with our members grappling with the fiscal decisions made at last year’s Budget, including the rise in National Insurance contributions for employers and taxes such as the Landfill Tax. BALI member businesses are ready to deliver many of the Government’s priorities, from
house building initiatives to education and environmental improvements, but to do so the Chancellor must foster an economy which supports the sector and business growth.
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“This is why BALI is calling for investment into skills, training, and education, and the removal of barriers to growth, including a halt on further tax rises. With the right support, landscaping could be worth over £51bn by 2030, benefitting the UK with healthier communities and high-quality green spaces.”
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BALI emphasises that the landscaping industry is vital to achieving multiple government goals – from building 1.5 million new homes to meeting environmental targets and enhancing national resilience. With strategic investment and fairer regulation, the sector can play a leading role in growing the UK economy while improving people’s quality of life.
Grass Seeds & Wildflowers
BALI Enquiry 1
Boosting domestic tree production essential The Government’s climate change and biodiversity targets will not be met without greater support for domestic tree production, according to a new report produced by the Woodland Trust, the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA), the National Trust and the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS).
The Strong Roots report suggests that the UK government’s Net Zero Strategy, which requires 40,000 hectares of trees to be planted annually by 2030, is likely to be held back by barriers to domestic tree production, such as the lack of a designated action plan and a shortage of skilled workers. In 2023/24, Britain planted over 20,000 hectares of new
woodland, the highest in 35 years, yet meeting future planting targets will require strategic support for domestic tree production, which is “the backbone of reaching targets to increase tree cover” according to the report.
Environmental Improvement Plan sets a legally binding goal of expanding tree cover from 14.5% to 16.5% by 2050. This level of tree planting, which is vital in the fight against climate change, simply won’t
be possible unless there is coordinated support for the British tree production industry. “Support is especially critical to maintain and boost British production of rootstock and
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standard trees. We want to see the Government address this with an action plan for British tree production.” Woodland Trust Enquiry 2
Another issue highlighted by the report is the low number of fruit, nut and amenity trees being produced domestically in Britain. These trees play fundamental roles in agroforestry, as well as in city streets and gardens.
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Rebecca Gosling, Lead Policy Advocate at the Woodland Trust said: “All three British governments have ambitious annual targets to increase tree cover. England’s
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