Hundreds of new trees to be planted in county

16 Oct 2019 ARCHIVED (over 3 months old) - view latest news

More than 600 new trees are to be planted across Northumberland - making the county greener and cleaner.

The council has been successful in its bid to the Forestry Commission’s Urban Tree Challenge Fund - securing £265,000 for a new two-year tree planting programme. 

The initiative will involve 633 trees being planted at 29 locations across Cramlington, Seghill, Seaton Delaval, Blyth, Bedlington, Choppington, Prudhoe and Hexham.

The project aims to improve the county’s urban tree cover, improving the landscape and making them more appealing areas for recreation and for wildlife. The extra trees will also make a contribution to carbon capture. 

Councillor Glen Sanderson, Cabinet Member for Environment and Local Services, said: “We’re delighted to have secured this funding. After declaring our climate emergency earlier this year, we must do everything we can to reduce our carbon footprint.

“This scheme will not just improve the environment, it contributes to our carbon capture proposals under the climate change action plan

“We’re also planning to engage with local schools to encourage participation with the planting, giving the next generation a real sense of ownership.”

The newly planted areas will all be in parks or public open space that is owned by the county council and involves the planting of larger, low-maintenance trees to give immediate impact. 

All the sites are in densely populated areas and most are also in the south east’s former coalfield areas which currently have low tree numbers.

The projects in Hexham will create two new community orchard areas which will involve local children in the tree planting and benefit local communities with healthy fruit crops.