Stockport’s Labour Cabinet has agreed to bring forward almost £260,000 of Council reserves to fund the removal of tree stumps, dead trees and re-open currently closed tree pits.  In all 1538 extra trees will be planted across Stockport.  This is in addition to the 800 trees already in the planting programme – meaning a total of 2338 are scheduled to be planted across Stockport.

The money will bring forward the tree replacement programme, acting to improve local biodiversity, tree-stock and the overall amenity of the highway and greenspace tree scene.  The funding will achieve the full replacement of all missing trees by end of March 2022 – fourteen years earlier than the original planned date of 2036.

Over just four years 1,548 new trees will be planted. These will replace former trees with appropriate species for the location – which will reduce nuisance and maintenance costs for the highway department, saving other departmental budgets.

The money should help increase Stockport’s fruit-bearing trees, and develop further planting opportunities for the future, for example around footways and schools – further helping with particulate capturing and air quality improvement.

Explaining the move, Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities, Cllr Sheila Bailey said:

“This funding will have far reaching benefits beyond the replacement of lost trees. It will help biodiversity across the borough, moving Stockport towards our longer-term vision of a cleaner, healthier and greener place to live and work.

“The health benefits of living around greenery are well understood- improving the air we breathe, the attractiveness of our communities and, as research demonstrates, bringing positive benefits for mental health.

“For these reasons, bringing forward this money represents an excellent use of Council funds. Not only will this begin to save money on maintenance with more appropriate species, but this will improve the quality of lives for many residents right across Stockport.

“Being able to make such improvements is what motivates me as a Councillor. It is a privilege to be part of a Cabinet that can see the bigger picture and is prepared to take positive action”.