Milton Keynes City Council has pipped other councils in securing Government funding to plant 6,000 trees around the city.
Milton Keynes City Council successfully bid for £325,000 from the Forestry Commission’s ‘Treescapes Fund’ which it will use to plant natives such as oak, hawthorn and birch trees as well as to develop ‘forest gardens’ in several areas.
Forest gardens are where fruit trees are planted alongside vegetables and herbs in raised beds that communities can care for and benefit from. The city council will involve local people in designing their forest garden and how it will be looked after, with workshops to be announced shortly.
The proposed locations for additional tree planting are Bletchley, Bradville, Coffee Hall, Fishermead, Fullers Slade, Grange Farm, Netherfield, New Bradwell, Stacey Bushes and West Bletchley as these areas have less tree canopy cover than elsewhere in Milton Keynes.
“Trees can give so much to communities and to the environment, and in the last year we’ve planted more than 2,000 trees as part of our commitment to keep Milton Keynes a green, sustainable, and healthy city.”
- Cabinet Member for Sustainability, Cllr Shanika Mahendran
“Winter is our peak tree planting period, and we’ll act quickly to plant all the trees supported by this funding in time for spring. We’ll also be out and about to involve local residents in designing a forest garden that they can help grow and enjoy for years to come.”
- Cabinet Member for the Public Realm, Cllr Jennifer Wilson-Marklew