Croydon Council has received funding to plant almost 500 new trees across the borough, helping make the borough healthier and more vibrant.
Almost £300,000 in Forestry Commission funding will help plant 370 trees, focusing on green spaces across the borough which currently have low tree coverage.
This work will include planting species of trees most affected by natural decline and common tree diseases like ash.
Officers have begun drawing up potential planting locations, working closely together with local resident associations and parks groups.
The council has long championed tree-planting and the accompanying environmental benefits, such as improving air quality or roots absorbing excess rain to manage flooding. In fact, in recent years Croydon has planted around 2,000 new trees.
Croydon was one of the first local authorities in the country to partner with Trees for Streets, a scheme which aims to support the planting of more than 250,000 street trees nationwide over the next 10 years.
This programme has also received fresh funding through the Mayor of London, with an extension to plant another 110 trees around lower covered urban areas as well as parks and playgrounds.
Local residents can also sponsor a tree via the scheme, suggesting a location for a new tree and providing their time (and water) to help it thrive.
Croydon residents already involved in the scheme include a Lloyd Park local who sponsored an oak tree in the park to memorialise her mother’s life, as well as numerous other local people who have filled empty spaces on their streets with blossoming cherry trees.
“I know our residents are extremely proud of Croydon’s green spaces and leafy streets, which all help to make our borough a healthier and more attractive place. With funding for 500 more trees across all our local areas, we can continue to protect our biodiversity – making our streets even greener places to live as well as replacing trees lost to natural causes.
“Through our recently extended Trees for Streets programme, residents also have the opportunity to keep sponsoring their own trees and create their own community legacy. This can be done individually or by getting together with your neighbours, such as the recent ambitious campaign by South Norwood community groups for 14 new trees in Portland Road.”
Jason Perry, Executive Mayor of Croydon
