4450 trees planted in Peterborough by council in five months

Peterborough City Council has now completed its winter tree planting season, in which is days it has planted 4450 trees.

The occasion was marked with a special ceremony at Longthorpe Green this week, where a Field Maple was planted.

The tree is one of 40 different tree species to be planted across 111 sites between November 2022 and March 2023 as the council attempts to boost the natural environment and help towards its goal to become carbon neutral.

New data this week from Friends of the Earth has shown that, with just 8.7 percent, Peterborough has well below the average tree coverage across England (12.8 percent).

Among the new trees were 100 young oaks that the council promised to plant to attempt to mitigate the environmental impact of its decision to fell the Bretton Oak Tree.

The council declared a climate emergency in 2019 and since then has committed to several initiatives aimed at reducing carbon emissions. This includes a target of 25 percent tree canopy on city council land by 2035, which will require thousands of trees to be planted every year.

Councillor Nigel Simons, Cabinet Member for Waste, Street Scene and the Environment said: “Trees are important community and environmental assets and therefore it’s vital to replace and increase our stock each year during the winter months when trees are in their dormant cycle.

“To plant so many trees in a short space of time is a fantastic achievement and I would like to thank everyone involved from the council and Aragon for their efforts.

“By increasing our tree stock we can help to reduce our carbon emissions, bringing vital benefits including improving physical and mental health, better air quality and helping to stimulate our economy.”