Trees planted will be looked after

TREES planted by the borough council following a £300,000 grant from The Woodland Trust will be looked after properly.

That’s a pledge by Cllr Gregor Murray, the executive member for resident services, communications and emissions.

He was responding to a question from Cllr Pauline Helliar-Symons, who is the Conservative candidate for Wokingham Without.

“I know that laying our new, accessible woodland will be a priority as part of the Council’s tree planting initiatives,” she said. “Can you confirm to me that any trees planted using this money will be maintained and looked after properly and not just planted and allowed to fend for themselves?”

Cllr Murray said that Wokingham borough was one of 10 councils to receive the funding as part of a plan to plant 50 million trees by 2025.

“An additional benefit for Wokingham Borough is that the funding brings with it the invaluable advice and support of experts in conservation and large-scale tree planting,” he added.

Ongoing maintenance was something that residents had raised with the council and it was also something that had to be addressed in the bid.

“We will have two dedicated Tree Officers specifically responsible for carrying out inspections and maintenance works for these and for the of stock of other council owned trees,” he said.

Cllr Murray also blasted opposition councillors, saying that he and council leader John Halsall had been meeting with the Woodland Trust since 2019.

“I stress this because I have seen that members of the opposition have tried to ferret some of the credit for this relationship and bask in the reflected glow of what is a great achievement forWokingham residents and the officers of our council,” he said.

“This funding not only helps to kickstart our tree planting programme but shows that the Woodland Trust believes in both our planting programme and also our future maintenance plan. I am proud to say that I have played a part in making it happen,” he said.

Responding, Cllr Pauline HelliarSymons asked: “Are there any plans for community engagement?”

Cllr Murray said that there were plans in place for this, including working with residents and town and parish councils to help discern where these trees could be planted.