The Council has successfully secured funding to plant 100 mature trees in urban areas with poor tree coverage. Sites in Loftus, Guisborough and Eston have been earmarked.
The funding was secured through the Forestry Commission’s Urban Trees Challenge fund and will allow additional tree planting in
- Coronation Park
- Temperance Square
- Eston Rec
- Westgate and
- Chaloner Street
- King George V playing fields
- Chapel Beck.
The trees will be gradually introduced across these areas between 2024 and 2025.
Planting mature trees delivers an immediate positive impact, not only improving the areas’ biodiversity, air, soil, and water quality, but also supporting the health and wellbeing of residents living in urban communities, which are considered more vulnerable to the impact of climate change.
Introducing the trees in public open spaces will enhance the appearance of those locations and will allow families to spend leisure time in spaces where children and young people can enjoy and learn about nature and foster an affinity for it.
The funding bid was developed by the Council in partnership with Tees Valley Combined Authority’s Trees on Tees team, which supports tree-planting and woodland creation across the Tees Valley.
Cabinet Member for Climate and Culture, Cllr Carrie Richardson, said:
“We are glad to have secured this funding, which will have an incredibly positive impact on our borough both from an environmental and a social point of view. It brings us one step closer to our ambition to become carbon neutral, supporting our urban communities to adapt to climate change. The beneficial effect these trees will have on our area and residents will last for many years to come.”
Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said:
“Projects such as this make our streets and parks heathier and more pleasant places to be - and we want to ensure that all areas are benefitting from our plan to increase tree planting.
“We want to go further however and would urge businesses and residents to sign up to the Trees on Tees project to get free trees, which you can do by visiting the website Trees on Tees.”