• Norwood Forum

Lambeth Council’s plans for tree planting

Lambeth has pledged to plant 600 trees in the imminent six month planting season. The planting is part of the Council's plans to address the climate and nature crises whilst bringing a range of health and wellbeing benefits to residents.

The new trees will improve air quality, increase resilience to heat waves and flooding, and help nature to thrive.

Approval is currently in the course of being obtained to buy 5000 trees for a four year tree planting programme. On-street planting locations have apparently been scoped out, plus locations across green spaces. The Cabinet Member for Sustainable Lambeth and Clean Air, Councillor Rezina Chowdhury, says the intention is to:

  • Target resources to where they are most effective and needed using an evidence based, strategic approach.
  • Work to protect the existing tree stock and increase its quality and diversity to make it more resilient to pests and diseases and the impacts of climate change.
  • Enable Lambeth to maximise the benefits provided by its urban forest whilst taking steps to improve public access to trees and open spaces, encouraging community involvement and sharing the contribution to care for our urban forest with our communities.

However, suggestions are also welcome from residents. Send your tree planting suggestions to: trees@lambeth.gov.uk

We know from our work in 2018 with the Council’s tree team to identify all the empty tree pits across the (then) three wards in our area that much tree planting is needed just to get back the urban forest we had a decade or so ago. Unfortunately, the Council has not stopped the practice of tarmacing over empty tree pits where trees have had to be removed. Trees removed from pits on council estates in recent years have not been replaced. The Council has also been criticised for planting less trees than it removes. Mature trees are lost, and if they are replaced this has always been with saplings.  

There are 25 wards in Lambeth, so an average of 24 trees will be planted this year in each ward. We have written to seek detail on the planting plans for the four wards across our patch, and will publish this when we have it.