Tree planting and removals in Haringey this winter

Haringey Council will be planting at least 250 new trees across the borough this winter. 

Having secured funding from the Greater London Authority’s Greener City Fund, 50 trees are going to be planted in Finsbury Park and a further 40 will be spread across Homes for Haringey estates with an N22 postcode.

We also intend to improve the street scene around Wightman Road (N4/N8, 36 new trees), Chesnut Road (N17, 10 new trees) and Downhills Way (N17, 10 new trees).

As part of a biodiversity offsetting project too, 50 new trees at minimum will be planted on the Ferry Lane estates. Further tree planting will be funded through the ward budget and private sponsorship as well.

The tree planting sessions are part of the council’s ambition to make the borough greener, and is also going some way towards offsetting the necessary removal of diseased, dying or dead trees around Haringey, which has now started and is expected to continue through to mid-January. 
135 and 159 trees of sufficiently poor quality will be removed from our streets and parks respectively. 

We are working hard to achieve our goal of planting many more trees across the borough next winter to make up for those removed this year.

We have ambitious plans for the next few years to increase the number of trees across the borough, ensuring that all wards have a tree canopy of at least 20%.

Trees are only ever removed when they have reached the end of their life cycle, they pose a health and safety risk, or they are so damaged that they cannot be saved.

A dead or diseased tree could prospectively pose a significant risk as it might be blown down by a sharp, strong gust of wind.

Examples of dead and diseased trees – and the tell-tale signs that they’re either dying or deceased – can be seen in the following pictures.

Notices are being placed on the affected trees to inform residents of their pending removal. 

Meanwhile, we’ll be holding two community planting days at Finsbury Park during National Tree Week (November 25-December 1).

Trees will be planted along the boundaries with Endymion Road and Seven Sisters Road (both N4) on Friday 29 November and Saturday 30 November respectively.

The planting is taking place around the perimeter of the park to fill in some of the existing gaps in canopy cover. 

Both community days will start at around 9am and should be finished by 12noon. Tools and gloves will be provided for volunteers and, numbers permitting, it’s hoped we’ll plant between 20 and 30 new trees over the course of the two days.
For further information or to register to be a volunteer, email us at: parkprojects@haringey.gov.uk

Simon Farrow, Haringey Council’s Parks & Open Spaces Manager, said:

We are committed to planting more trees in Haringey as part of our work to make the borough even greener. We encourage the community to come to our planting days and help us mark National Tree Week. Unfortunately, when trees are diseased or dying, we have no choice but to remove them. This is only done when they cannot be saved or pose a safety risk. We are working hard to ensure we can plant even more trees next year.