OK, fair point. Until I know more about the proposed Memorial, though, I will stick by what I said.
From the Memorial website; “Following a period of extensive consultation with the Services and ex-Services community it was concluded that a new national memorial should be constructed – to be known as the Armed Forces Memorial”, implies more stone than tree.
The National Memorial Arboretum already serves the purpose described. I would argue that these plantations are individual expressions of bereavement and remembrance. A similar example is the tree plantation to the East of Stanley, remembering those who lost there lives retaking and reinforcing the Falkland Islands. This was an expression of personal gratitude and remembrance by the Islanders. It is now normal to have a short Church Parade there after the Remembrance Sunday Service; and very moving it is too. The salient point here is that this is distinctly additional to, not in place of the traditional event.
I would be interested to know some precise detail of what is proposed at Alrewas. Is the intention to replace the Cenotaph and the various individual memorials?