Southwark Council to plant 10,000 new trees by 2022

14 January 2021

Southwark Council backs its Climate Emergency commitment to be carbon neutral by 2030, with an ambitious new tree planting programme that will see 10,000 trees introduced to the borough, by 2022.

The programme, which is among the biggest in London, will see the number of trees in Southwark increase by 13 per cent. It incorporates an ecological project plan costing £5million that will run for five to ten years and see that the new trees are planted, cared for and replaced as necessary.

The council is already responsible for the care of 82,500 trees in Southwark. Each tree is mapped and logged and given a check-up every three years – two years for those on council school grounds. Some of the new trees will replace historic loses.

Southwark Council has already surveyed its streets, parks, woodlands and 34 Sites of Importance to Nature Conservation. This intelligence will help to inform its new Tree Planting Strategy, and identify locations that would benefit from tree planting.

In addition to the 10,000 new trees, the council has identified areas that would benefit from woodland expansion, hedgerow creation and increased areas of natural habitat.

Southwark Council has invited people who live in the borough to let it know where they’d like to see new trees planted for some time. But, with this new programme, the council will work with local people and groups. The council hopes to bring together the people of Southwark in the summer; to help decide where to plant the trees, support with optimal care for them and better monitor the success of the project.

Cllr Johnson Situ, Cabinet Member for Climate Emergency, Planning and Transport, and Cllr Catherine Rose, Cabinet Member for Leisure, Environment and Roads said: “Our exciting new tree planting programme will touch every corner of the borough, helping to tackle air pollution, reduce carbon, and address the Climate Emergency.

“We hope to bring people together from all over Southwark, to share in deciding where these 10,000 new trees will go and to help them to flourish and grow. Our aim is to create beautiful neighbourhoods and environments for both the boroughs’ people and our wildlife, for many years to come.”

Page last updated: 14 January 2021