News / Trees
Council to prioritise tree planting in Bristol’s most deprived areas
A new strategy is to prioritise tree planting in some of Bristol’s least affluent areas over the next decade.
The local authority wants to increase tree canopy across Bristol by 25 per cent by 2035 as part of the One City Plan.
Bristol City Council hopes this will address the uneven distribution of tree cover in the city, which ranges from 9 per cent to 27 per cent depending on the neighbourhood.
is needed now More than ever
Councillor Ellie King, public health, communities and One City lead at Bristol City Council, said: “Meeting our ecological and climate emergency obligations is a priority for this administration which can only be achieved by exploring a range of measures.
“Tree planting is an essential approach that will deliver a huge number of benefits to communities across the city.
“Trees play a critical role in mitigating the effects of climate change, particularly urban heat stress, supporting nature recovery, and promoting health and wellbeing.”
Bristol City Council wants to address the uneven distribution of tree cover between areas – photo: Charlie Watts
The council’s cabinet approved the Bristol Tree Strategy earlier this month, which will see more trees planted across all areas of the city.
Its approval means £115,000 has been allocated to spend on tree planting and community engagement, in order to deliver the strategy.
Councillor Nicola Beech, cabinet member for climate, ecology, waste and energy, added: “This strategy and the subsequent plans it will develop will provide a comprehensive assessment of tree planting opportunities across Bristol.
“By doing this we can look beyond the boundaries of council owned land and develop opportunities to plant trees in ways that complement how land across the city is used, be it for sport, leisure, food growing and many other uses.”
The council says the new strategy will also complement existing tree planting programmes in the city, such as One Tree Per Child.
Main photo: Jim Smith
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