Issue - meetings

The Committee received a presentation from the council’s Senior Arboricultural Officer.

The presentation outlined:

      i.         The Cambridge Canopy Project was about planting more trees and giving protection to the trees already present.

    ii.         Wanted to make Cambridge more climate resilient. Using trees as a green infrastructure solution to achieve climate resilience.

   iii.         Was an urban forestry initiative, with the main aim to increase canopy cover by 2% (82 hectares – 120 football pitches covered with trees), from 17-19%. For this to be achieved an additional 16,000 trees needed to be planted. Through the Canopy Project the Council would be planting 2000 nursery raised ‘standard’ sized trees on public open space. So far 1300 trees had been planted.

  iv.         Sought to emphasize the social, economic and environmental benefits trees provided.

    v.         Shared ownership and collective responsibility; by planting a tree anyone can help with carbon capture, increase biodiversity and help create a more sustainable forest.

  vi.         Cambridge’s current canopy cover was approximately 17% made up of 330,000 trees and shrubs exceeding heights of 1.2m or more. Street trees owned by the County Council comprised 10% of the population, the City Council owned 16% many of which were large and long lived species, 74% were privately owned and managed.

 vii.         The greatest land use in Cambridge was residential comprising 39% of the land in Cambridge. Unlocking this land was one of the key aims of the Canopy Project.

viii.         Tree canopy cover was the layer of leaves and branches, stems of trees and woody shrubs which covered the ground when viewed from above. This could be monitored and policies adjusted accordingly based on growth or decline. Cambridge Canopy Project now had data for the last 10 years.

  ix.         Needed to understand what types of tree were present, where these were and the condition that they were in. Worked with Anglia Ruskin University to undertake an i-tree eco study with selected households to assess over 200 sample plots across the city. The data from this study would allow the council to describe urban forest value and the contribution it makes to society in monetary terms, help manage urban forest in sustainable terms and manage its resilience in a changing climate and in terms of pests and disease outbreaks.

    x.         1500 trees will be given away through resident’s engagement schemes (free trees for babies). 

The Arboricultural Officer provided the following responses to member questions:

      i.         All trees provided canopy cover. Larger long-lived trees provided greater benefit all round than shorter lived trees, but they were looking for diversity and were looking to increase conifer species in the city to ensure resilience against pest and disease. Ash trees were declining and this was expected within the next 10-50 years. There were a lot of ash trees in Cambridge and it was possible this population could be lost.

    ii.         Eachard Road was on the council’s list to plant more trees. A consultation process was required before any planting could take place but was aware of public support for trees.

   iii.         The anti-vandal strategy in tree planting terms was to plant again, if the trees continued to be vandalised, they would not plant for a few years and then would try again.

  iv.         When trees were planted they were extremely vulnerable to drought conditions as they would have a bare root system as the roots would have been cut. Contractors did most of the watering for the council. In the first year a tree needed to be watered every three days to keep the soil moist. Were encouraging residents to assist with watering trees. There was a tree volunteer scheme, so people went around and watered trees.

    v.         Would have a look at Water Street where two trees had been knocked down and see if they could be replaced.