Lewes Adopts Charter Recognizing Rights of Trees
Lewes, East Sussex — Lewes Town Council has unanimously adopted a charter that recognizes rights for all trees in the town, joining a growing push across Kent and Sussex to give nature a stronger voice in local decision-making.
The motion, approved last week, sets out rights including the right to life, to flourish, to be restored and to complete natural life cycles. It was developed by community groups working together since May and guided by a toolkit from Dr. Joanna Miller Smallwood, who leads the Environmental Justice Law Clinic at the University of Sussex.
Smallwood said the toolkit was designed as a resource that councils and communities could adapt. 'It strikes a chord — people really care about trees,' she said.
The charter is not legally binding, but Smallwood said it would allow Lewes Town Council to make representations in planning decisions with trees' interests in mind. She praised the authority for taking a 'rights of nature approach,' which she hopes will continue to 'change the conversation' around tree protection.
A council spokesperson said trees 'play a key role in the town's nature and local ecology.' They added: 'They are living entities that have an important role in the town's well-being and climate resilience, something we were reminded of recently in summer's numerous heatwaves.'
The toolkit, prepared by Smallwood and her students over three years, includes information on existing legal protections for trees. Similar commitments have emerged elsewhere. In April, Maidstone Borough Council became the first authority to adopt a Rights of Nature framework, which it described as 'a practical, deliverable approach to safeguarding the borough's natural systems.' Last year, Rother District Council backed rights for heritage trees, while Lewes District Council became the first authority in East Sussex to declare rights of rivers.
Smallwood said extending the approach to all trees was a step forward for a country that is 'one of the most nature depleted' in the world. For her students, many of whom experience 'climate anxiety,' she said the local authority's move offered something 'quite hopeful.'
The town council spokesperson said adopting the charter's principles provides 'a framework for better decision-making.' They added: 'It doesn't mean every tree must live forever, and given that trees can't speak, make informed decisions or give instructions, the charter is accepting that we take on a degree of care and responsibility for decisions that trees cannot make for themselves.'
The decision reflects a broader shift in local government, where environmental protections are increasingly being framed not only as property or planning matters but as questions of rights. While the Lewes charter does not grant trees enforceable legal standing, supporters say it can influence how officials weigh development, heat risk and ecological loss — and may encourage other councils to follow.
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Lewes Town Council
University of Sussex