A recent article in the Sunday Times reported the growth of Community Tree Groups across the country. Many of these groups were formed when it was realised that austerity hit local authorities were unable to replace trees felled on account of age, disease or issues such as broken pavements or subsidence. The article points out that a standard ‘street’ tree costs around £700 to buy, plant and nurture for those important first two years of its life and councils were struggling to find both resources and manpower to provide this important service.
This is where groups like the Witham Tree Group step in. We work closely with our Town and District Council to provide the manpower to plant and look after (water) the trees until they are established. This year we have planted over 30 substantial trees, most of them purchased by the local authorities. With each tree costing around £80 – £100 (some a little more) and using the Sunday Times costings, that represents a massive saving for the tax payer of around £18,000. And we have been doing this now for 5 years.
The Sunday Times article also reports that a new scientific study from Denmark has revealed the importance of trees in the urban environment, concluding that children growing up in green leafy spaces are less likely to develop a mental illness in adulthood. The findings were based on an examination of more than 1m people.
It is now well established that trees improve air quality by removing pollutants, helping to reduce the severity of conditions such as asthma in children. The study from Denmark re-enforces our knowledge of the health and wellbeing benefits of living with trees.
Allan Waight
April 2019
