A total of 2,021 new trees will be planted throughout the city between now and spring 2022 to boost green infrastructure and help reduce the impact of climate change.
The new trees will be added to the 394,000 trees that are already contained throughout Plymouth – that’s equivalent to 1.5 trees for every person! Each tree will be accessible throughout public places such as parks and open spaces, road verges, residential streets and outside housing developments.
The commitment to more trees comes as both the Council’s Climate Emergency Action Plan (CEAP) and Corporate Carbon Reduction Plan (CCRP) acknowledge the significant role tree planting and tree management plays in addressing the Climate Emergency and mitigating climate change.
Introducing more trees to Plymouth’s existing green spaces (40 per cent of total land) will help deliver on our Climate Emergency commitments by reducing C02 emissions, absorbing pollution and improving our air quality.
Greening programmes also have many other benefits that include providing habitat for wildlife, improving urban aesthetics and benefitting the mental health of residents.
The additional trees will also lessen the impact of Ash Dieback, a destructive disease that presents a significant risk to the loss of trees in the city.
The newly established trees will be supported by the principles of our Plan for Trees which helps trees in urban areas become fit for purpose, resilient to the challenges of climate change and disease, whilst being adaptable to whatever new challenges the future may hold.
There are four themes to the Plan for Trees:
To promote the benefits and value of the our trees through education and encouraging best practice
To protect Plymouth’s special trees and woodlands for future generations
To care for our trees by practicing and promoting good tree and woodland management
To enhance – to enhance urban areas by increasing tree canopy cover.
Cabinet Member for Environment and Street Scene – Councillor Maddi Bridgeman said: “We want to be a city committed to trees, we know how much they benefit our environment by reducing air pollution and by capturing carbon, but we also want to rediscover our relationship with trees and how they can provide food and habitat for wildlife to thrive.
“Our tree programme not only helps establish new trees, but also supports our existing trees, making sure they are suitably nurtured and secure, ensuring they fully flourish and provide us all their benefits.
“As the city’s Tree Champion, I will be working with environmental partners in promoting the benefits of trees and making sure future generations enjoy the green infrastructure they deserve. This commitment is just the beginning in growing our tree coverage.”