Progress is being made on the planting of hundreds of new trees in Reading, as initiatives continue to plant even more in the town.
Over the past year, 421 trees were planted on land owned by Reading Borough Council.
The increase in tree cover in Reading is one of the goals within the council’s corporate plan.
Reading Borough Council’s target for 2023/24 was to have a total of 14,500 trees on council-owned property.
The actual amount outstripped expectations, with 15,198 trees being counted at the end of March, 698 more than the target.
Over the last year, 421 trees were planted. Of those, 332 are new trees and 89
are replacements for those that had either died or were felled.
You can also help by getting involved in the ‘Trees for Reading’ initiative by Ethical Reading.
The social enterprise programme works by using donations to sponsor a tree to be planted, with a full projected cost of around £395 for a single tree.
Since the ‘Trees for Reading’ initiative began, 118 trees have been planted through the scheme.
Organisations which have supported the project include the BDB Pitmans law firm and the Thames Lido, the first corporate sponsor of the initiative.
The trees planted by Ethical Reading are self-reported on its website, where you can find out how to get involved.
Meanwhile, the figures for the trees planted on council land are recorded in Reading Borough Council’s corporate plan key performance indicators (KPIs) for 2023/24.
The KPIs feature in the agenda of the council’s policy committee meeting held on Monday, July 8.
