As part of phase one of the Council programme of planting street trees

Cllr Cook helps plant a new street tree in an earlier planting season

Wandsworth Council is now roughly halfway through this winter’s programme of planting new street trees across the borough. This winter 664 trees are being planted in Wandsworth’s residential streets, housing estates and parks. In Putney the trees have been planted in the following numbers:
East Putney 35
Fairfield 29
Roehampton and Putney Heath 21
Southfields 53
Thamesfield 32
West Hill 42
West Putney 47

The council plan that at least 500 more will also be planted in residential areas next winter – making a projected total of more than 1,150 new trees over the two planting seasons.

Species being planted include London plane, cherry, lime, pear, crab apple, rowan, oak, hazel, whitebeam, maple, hornbeam and birch. Some will be planted as replacements for trees that have died recently leaving spaces where they have had to be removed.

Each of the 20 council wards in Wandsworth are getting new trees this winter, with the biggest number earmarked for Furzedown ward (57) followed by Southfields (53) Wandsworth Common (49), Tooting (49) West Putney (47) and West Hill (42).

Chief parks office Jerry Birtles said: “This is quite a far reaching programme that will enable us over the course of two winters to plant trees where they’ve been lost in previous years but also in some places that have not benefited before from having a street tree.

“Sadly trees do die or become unsafe from time to time for a variety of reasons and while most people would like us to plant replacements immediately this is not normally possible because you have to allow time for old roots to rot away so that there is space for a new tree to grow in that space.

“However over the course of this winter and next most of the pits that are currently vacant will have new trees planted.”

The council’s environment spokesman Cllr Jonathan Cook added: “This is a major step up in tree planting activity and will ensure that Wandsworth’s streets remain amongst the greenest in London. This programme builds on the town hall’s long standing policy of promoting greenery in residential areas.

“By this time next year the number of street trees in our borough will have risen to around 16,000. As well as making our residential areas look much more attractive, they will also offer great habitats for birds, bees and other forms of wildlife.

“Many of our street trees are monitored by local tree wardens. Wandsworth was one of the first urban councils in the country to establish a network of wardens – members of the public who act as the eyes and ears of the town hall by keeping a close watch on the health and well-being of trees in their neighbourhood.

“Wandsworth already has a well deserved reputation for being one of London’s greenest boroughs. Planting this many new trees demonstrates our commitment to making our borough an even better place to live.”

People who are interested in becoming a tree warden can email Wandtreeward@aol.com

January 17, 2018