6,650 new trees planted in Worcester this winter

6,650 new trees have been planted in Worcester this winter, with the final saplings being planted this week in Perdiswell Park (WR3 7SN).

A ten-strong team of staff from Worcester City Council completed the mammoth task of planting 4,000 native broadleaved trees in Perdiswell this week.The species have been selected by the Forestry Commission to maximise biosecurity and biodiversity.

The enormous tree planting programme has been made possible thanks to successful applications by Worcester City Council to central Government's Urban Tree Challenge Fund, which aims to support the planting of more than 130,000 trees across England's towns and cities.

"Planting more trees is one of several actions set out in the Environmental Sustainability Strategy for Worcester, which aims for the city to become carbon neutral by 2030," says Cllr Andy Stafford, Vice Chair of Worcester City Council's Environment Committee.

"This massive planting programme will also help to reduce noise, flood risk and provide more shade in the hotter months.As anyone who's tried it knows, tree planting is hard and painstaking work.I'd therefore like to thank all the staff involved."

A further 1,500 trees have been planted at Diglis Playing Fields (WR5 3EF) to create woodland walkways and 600 at the Howard Road recreational grounds in St. John's, creating a barrier with neighbouring residential properties. The remaining 550 trees have been planted in a variety of locations across the city.