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The planting will be in streets across the entire town. It will be focussed on areas of greatest need, where existing tree cover is particularly low or where many trees have recently been lost to disease, as well as near health centres and schools.

We are planting 500 trees in this planting season, between December 2021 and Feb/March 2022, and a further 500 trees in the next planting season from November 2022 to Feb/March 2023. Trees can only be planted when they are dormant in the winter and not when they are growing. Moving them in the growing season risks killing them.

Unfortunately not. Unlike planting saplings in parkland, street tree planting is a complex activity that must be undertaken by an experienced specialist contractor, who is fully insured against all the associated risks. Not even Treebourne members will be planting these trees.

The chosen trees are about 5-7 years old, and will be about 2.5m-3m tall when we plant them, depending on species, with a trunk diameter between 12cm and 14cm, so they will be more resilient in street settings.

We’ve already made decisions for this year’s planting, to ensure that those areas get them that need them the most. However, next year’s planting is not decided and we’d like to hear your views first.

Absolutely. Though note that it’s unlikely we can plant much outside the priority areas. Early next year, we will invite you to offer suggestions for planting.

This will be for next year’s planting, as this year we are specifically targeting the areas that need trees the most. Half the trees will be planted next year, so there are 500 trees whose locations will be decided based on your suggestions.

There are 14 species, mainly native but some non-native, that are well suited to coastal urban environments. These are:

• Crataegus monogyna Stricta - Hawthorn

• Sorbus intermedia Brouwers - Swedish whitebeam

• Sorbus aucuparia Sheerwater Seedling - Rowan

• Corylus colurna - Turkish hazel

• Tilia cordata - small-leaved lime

• Ulmus ‘New Horizon’ - Disease-resistant elm

• Pinus nigra - Black pine

• Carpinus betulus Frans Fontaine - Hornbeam

• Prunus cerasifera Crimson Pointe - Cherry plum

• Quercus ilex - Holm oak

• Acer campestre Elsrijk - Field maple

• Prunus hillieri Spire - Cherry

• Prunus avium Plena - Cherry

• Platanus x hispanica - London plane 

We will choose the most suitable species for each individual planting location, based on factors such as soil conditions, closeness to the sea, pollution, how big the tree will be when fully grown, etc. 

We all live in Eastbourne and know what a major pain broken and raised pavements around trees are. We will do everything within our power to prevent this, by choosing species carefully for each site, and creating a spacious pit for each tree to grow in without breaking the pavement. Wherever possible, trees will be planted in grass verges rather than pavements. Our list of species includes a number of smaller trees that will be selected for areas where pavements are narrow. And our contractor has developed an approach from years of planting experience that minimises risk of the pavement breaking around the pit.

The streets in Sovereign Harbour are predominantly under the control of management companies that were set up by the various property developers, when the area was completely redeveloped in 1993. They have not been adopted by East Sussex County Council and, therefore, we do not have jurisdiction to plant on them. So, although the Sovereign Harbour area has very low existing tree cover, unfortunately we cannot plant street trees there under this programme.

The majority of the money will come from a grant under the Forestry Commission’s Urban Tree Challenge Fund. This is part of the government’s Nature for Climate Fund, supporting the planting of 44,000 large ‘standard’ trees throughout the UK over a two-year period: 2021/22 to 2022/23. The remaining cost will be met by Treebourne’s own fundraising.

The majority of the money will come from a grant under the Forestry Commission’s Urban Tree Challenge Fund. This is part of the government’s Nature for Climate Fund, supporting the planting of 44,000 large ‘standard’ trees throughout the UK over a two-year period: 2021/22 to 2022/23. The remaining cost will be met by Treebourne’s own fundraising.

Street trees make us feel better! There’s so much research that proves this. They improve our physical and mental well-being by reducing blood pressure, stress and asthma. As well as just looking beautiful, they massively improve urban air quality by trapping and absorbing pollution from the atmosphere, they keep us cool by providing shade in summer and they help prevent streets from flooding by soaking up excess rainwater. They have also been shown to calm traffic speeds, reduce road rage and make our streets safer and quieter.

And let’s not forget how good they are for the environment too... they attract wildlife, increase biodiversity and absorb CO2 from of the atmosphere.

Every £1 spent on trees, saves the UK £7 in healthcare, energy and environmental costs.
Source: Trees for Streets

The tree stumps left after a tree has been felled are the responsibility of East Sussex Highways. The average cost to remove a tree stump is in the region of £5000, as the work requires a survey, careful digging around utilities and remedial works to reinstate the pavement. You can report a problem or concern using the East Sussex Highways contact form