Over 8,000 new trees planted across Dorset this year
But there are calls for more to be added in urban areas
Over 8,000 trees were planted by the Dorset Council Greenspace and National Landscape teams during the year – although a campaigner say there should have been more.
Councillors have been told that the Council now has 20 volunteer tree wardens across the council area and 5 community projects underway using the Dorset Community tree fund.
The information comes from the council’s portfolio holder Cllr John Andrews, in response to a public question about the level of tree planting in the area – with a call for more to be done to encourage tree planting in urban areas.
Cllr Andrews says the authority has a Dorset Council tree policy and the Natural Environment, Climate and Ecology Strategy which promote the planting of trees.
“I will be asking relevant officers to investigate how an overarching “Dorset tree strategy” could bring all of this good work together,” he told a council meeting.
A question to the authority said despite the council’s policies there seemed to be a reluctance to plant tree in urban areas, particularly on streets.
The council’s Natural Environment, Climate and Ecology Strategy 2023 document encourages tree planting, but does not contain a specific policy or strategy for trees in urban areas.
“There is no tree strategy or a section pertaining to trees within a Green Infrastructure Strategy: Investing in Green People, despite many other authorities having such a document and their being ample guidance of how to create a strategy,” the question said.
“Communities are being encouraged to find places and plant trees this can be difficult especially when most of the land where people live is owned by Dorset Council. Communities, Parish and Town Councils are operating within a vacuum.
“Without policy I suggest that trees will continue to be seen as a maintenance problem in the urban setting. Decisions on whether trees can be planted will be taken with the dis-benefits of trees dominating their far more important and numerous benefits… Should Dorset Council not be prioritising the development of a Tree Strategy to ensure good tree canopy cover in its towns and villages, its routes between centres, as well as its rural areas.?”
One town area which has been earmarked for new trees is the refurbished Fairfield Road in Dorchester where an avenue of small trees is being investigated along with a ‘rain garden’.
So far Dorset Council has been unable to find the funding for the project, estimated to cost up to £300,000, despite a promise from Dorchester Town Council to help meet the bill.