At the October meeting of the AHS, Peter Marshall, the Arboricultural and Horticultural Officer of Redbridge, spoke about the trees of Redbridge. He explained how all trees owned by the Council, growing on streets and council land, are mapped by the Council and inspected regularly.
Peter and his team of 7 select and order trees to be planted, oversee tree planting and maintain and manage the trees. There are 44,000 council trees and 128 hectares of council woodland in the Borough of Redbridge. The tree officers identify trees in high-risk areas so that they can be effectively maintained, particularly overhanging branches on street trees. Redbridge was one of the first Local Authorities to employ a tree officer and recognise the ecological benefits of growing trees; there are 700 trees grown on the Council’s highways. With the support of a grant from the Greater London Authority, Redbridge has planted over 1.000 trees in 2 years.
Trees are ordered from reputable Tree Nurseries like Hilliers and Wyevales and purchased at the height of 2.5 – 3 metres. Before they are planted on streets, a check must be made for underground services and away from street furniture.
Each area of the borough has a score which reflects the proportion of trees, with Loxford & Ilford having the lowest score. Working with the Woodland Trust, the borough is aiming to plant more trees on school playgrounds which have a tarmac surface. A central government grant to be paid in April 2027 will result in more trees being planted.
Peter spoke about the variety of trees that will survive drought better than others – the Council will be purchasing more trees that can withstand drought conditions. Click on the link for the notes from Peter’s talk.
The winners of the plant of the month competition were:-
1st Jane Karavasili – Solanum laxum
2nd Marjorie Lewis– Dahlia
3rd Judith McCann – Fuchia
Please note that future meetings of the AHS will take place in St Gabriel’s Church,