Funding pressures 

After record-breaking planting numbers in the previous two planting seasons, we faced a new and  disappointing situation in 2025/26. The Government’s decision to suspend its Urban Tree  Challenge Fund, pending a review, meant that our major source of funding in recent years was  unavailable. After planting a record 95 trees in 2024/25, a total of 54 planted in the last season  was something of a comedown, although it is twice as many as the Group was able to plant in its  early days. 

At this time of funding uncertainty, it has been reassuring to know that we can continue to rely on  the generous support and encouragement of Witham Town Council.. While other local authorities  have cut back on funding for tree planting owing to their own financial pressures, the Town Council  has sustained and even increased the level of funding for the Tree Group’s work. We are most  grateful for the Council’s continuing faith in our ability to deliver new initiatives for the benefit of  local residents. 

The remaining funding came from individual donors and from the Group’s own limited resources.  Any individual who wishes to finance a tree to mark a milestone in life, in memory of a lost loved  one or for some other reason can approach the Tree Group, which for a set fee will purchase,  plant, water and maintain the tree. Also, individuals who have grown trees in their own gardens up  to a certain height have generously offered these trees to the Group for planting in public areas.  The Group is particularly grateful for such donations at a time when the public funding available to  support its work has been reducing. 

Because of the uncertainty of future funding, the Group did not start any major projects in the  2025/26 planting season but concentrated on smaller priority projects, on developing or completing  existing projects and on replacing losses at established sites. 

A number of the planting sites were on Braintree District Council’s land and required the Council’s  cooperation and approval. While the Council is not currently able to fund the Tree Group’s planting  plans, it has been happy to work closely with the Group to facilitate its work. We are grateful for the  help and advice we receive from the Council. We were particularly pleased to welcome two key  members of staff who came to help with the planting on one occasion. 

Once again we had help on several occasions from staff of Aegon Plc. We much appreciate the  assistance which they have provided over many years. Every Aegon helper has given us an  admirable level of hard work and commitment. 

New projects 

In the face of an increasing pattern of hot, dry summers, including record average temperatures in  the summer of 2025, the Tree Group has in recent years pursued a project to provide shade trees  at all children’s play areas in the town. In this planting season trees were provided at the  playground on the Allectus Way estate near the end of Alan Road. 

As an adjunct to its project at Rickstones Recreation Ground (see below), the Tree Group planted  cherry trees on either side of Manor Road, just outside the Ground. This road is the beginning of  the access road for Witham Cemetery. The new trees should provide an attractive gateway for  those visiting the cemetery.

Addition to existing projects 

In the planting season 2024/25 the Tree Group planted 40 trees at Rickstones Recreation Ground,  as detailed in the report on that season. In this season the Tree Group planted trees to join up the  two areas of earlier planting and added a row of ornamental trees at the other end of the Ground  along the cemetery fence. This was our largest single planting site this year, comprising 20 trees. 

At the major planting site alongside the cycle path from Motts Lane to the Rivenhall Oaks estate,  we added two trees to the central section to fill a gap. 

Some years ago we planted trees in the open area between Town End Field and Dengie Way in a  project funded by Braintree District Council. It had always seemed to the Tree Group that there  was ample scope for adding a small number of trees to the site without undue crowding and the  Council agreed. Five trees were accordingly added in this planting season. 

Replacing lost trees 

The Memorial Park between Bramble Road and Honeysuckle Way was a major project devised  and financed by Braintree District Council to commemorate residents of Witham who died while  serving in the armed forces. The project was completed some five years ago when more than 120  trees were in the ground. In the last year there have been five losses. All were replaced. 

The Avenue is one of the Town’s few roads where there are street trees to enhance the urban  scene. It is one of the glories of Witham. Losses occur from time to time and the Tree Group has  always been keen to sustain the attractiveness of the road by filling the gaps as soon as possible  when it has funding to do so, even though the trees lost have usually been planted by other bodies.  As a result, there is now a significant number of trees in The Avenue which have been planted by  the Group. In this planting season five dead trees were replaced; only one of the dead trees had  actually been planted by the Tree Group, a sapling donated by a member of the Group which had  never established itself. 

Other plantings 

Two trees were funded by family members in memory of a lost loved one and were planted at the  Tree Group’s main site for such plantings in the field near the town end of Flora Road. 

Two horse chestnuts, grown in his garden, were donated by a member of the public and were  planted in an area beyond the bottom of Colne Chase where we had previously planted horse  chestnuts, which are flourishing. We are delighted to report that the donor has taken a still more  valuable step by joining the Tree Group. 

For the location of all trees planted by the Witham Tree Group visit our Tree Finder page. 

The Future 

We are already putting together plans for planting in 2026/27. We await the result of the  government’s review of its funding for tree planting in towns but, in the absence of any assurance  of significant funding, we will again have to set our targets at a modest level. The Tree Group’s  own resources are finite and cannot sustain a significant level of planting. We are confident that  we can rely on Witham Town Council to continue its support. However, other councils not only  remain under financial pressure but, given central government’s plans to reform local government,  have no assurance of their future existence.

In this uncertain situation the Tree Group will continue to push forward as far as it can with its plans  to restore a beneficial level of tree cover in Witham. How far it can progress will depend on  matters outside its control.