Over 400 trees planted in Wellingborough

08 December 2023

Officers from North Northamptonshire Council have teamed up with Wellingborough Eco Group to plant 420 small saplings on public open space at Kilborn Road, Wellingborough.

NNC have been undertaking surveys within the local areas to identify open spaces that are suitable for larger scale tree planting, with two approaches taken.

Firstly, larger standard trees are professionally planted in selected areas and then included in a three-year maintenance programme. The second approach sees Officers working with local volunteers on community tree plantings.

The first tranche of land dedicated to community tree planting will be the public open space on Kilborn Road with the trees coming from the Woodland Trust’s Trees for Communities scheme.

We manage our open spaces carefully to provide a range of different uses and purposes. Some areas are kept clear for communal use, sports and walking whilst others enhance biodiversity and natural habitats. Areas of trees provide beautiful landscapes which bring benefits for mental and physical health as well as sequester carbon dioxide. Tree planting events like this one also enables volunteers to get directly involved and make a difference in their community.Cllr Harriet Pentland, the council’s Executive Member for Climate and Green Environment

As a council, we are always keen to work with local communities to make a difference on a local level, looking at ways we can work directly with residents. Tree plantings like this one are an example of this and I am pleased to see that this one has been such a success and well attended by volunteers. Although the planting took place over one day, the legacy will last for years to come.Cllr Jason Smithers, Leader of the Council

We’ve had a great day of tree planting; everyone’s had such a good time and it feels so good to have done something so positive. We have so much open space consisting of just cut grass in the town. It’s great to see the Council is now looking at changing how it looks after these areas and making them better for wildlife. Across the country insect numbers are suffering and whilst we all like wildflower meadows, woodlands provide essential habitat for insects and it is so important to re plantJonathan Hornet from the Wellingborough Eco Group