Plant Your Postcode winter 2023 newsletter

CPRE Sussex is working to plant more street trees across Brighton & Hove and help make our city a healthier, happier place to live. With Greening Up projects underway, new funding bids and an exciting new Tree Festival launching in 2024 there is much to celebrate.

However, there is still more work to be done to protect and promote our existing tree canopy and create new urban green spaces. Read on to find out more about what is planned and how to get involved.

Plant Your Postcode

Area-wide Greening Up projects are up and running and have already raised funds for tree planting.  North Laine residents have paid for three stump replacements and recent surveys are identifying further possible sites.

Hanover residents have pledged funds towards tree planting and are waiting for the results of a survey to determine possible planting sites. Surrenden Road residents have fundraised for a further three stump replacements on their broad grass verge. These will be planted either at the end of this year or in early 2024.

The new chair of the council’s Environment Committee Tim Rowkins is very engaged with our work. This appears to have created further interest for other area-wide groups including Preston Park Ward and Lower NE Hanover Residents (LNEHR).

Urban Tree Challenge

This summer we supported the Brighton & Hove City Council tree planting team with a successful bid for Urban Tree Challenge funding to plant and sustain 110 trees.

CPRE Sussex, along with the council and Brighton Permaculture Trust (BPT), is also supporting community orchard projects in Woodingdean and East Brighton. The Trust is designing possible layouts for two 15-tree orchards. There will also be 65 canopy trees.

Local communities are being consulted via leafleting, social media and volunteer campaigns.

Tree Festival 2024

© Dominic Alves/Flickr

The first Brighton and Hove Tree Festival will launch in May 2024 with series of family-friendly events celebrating our city’s wonderful trees. There will be plenty to enjoy, with lots of guided walks, workshops, talks, music and a photography competition and exhibition. We will also be working with local schools with the Champion School Tree project running throughout the spring term and into the summer

More details and a full programme will be announced shortly.

Brighton & Hove Group hold successful first meeting

© hehaden/Flickr

Our new Brighton & Hove CPRE group held its first meeting in September with lots of residents coming along to the Old Ship Hotel to talk about their concerns. Topics included biodiversity and environmental damage, and what needs to happen to make the city a heathier, happier place to live. At the next meeting in November, members created three working groups. The first will focus on greening up and planting trees in the inner city. The second will look at water issues. The third will explore challenges facing the City Fringe and the Downland Estate.

The next full meeting is planned for mid-January 2024. If you are interested in working with us on one of these areas or contributing to the group, please email info@cpresssex.org.uk.

Treenomics

Treenomics has now completed a major mapping project across the city revealing some surprising and interesting results. We are now in the process of crossing the ‘t’s and dotting the ‘i’s before launching the report so, watch this space!

Plant Your Postcode website

The website address for the Brighton & Hove tree planting project is www.cpresussex.org.uk/what-we-care-about/nature-and-landscapes/plant-your-postcode/ We are aware another website has been set up without permission. It has no connection with the CPRE Sussex Plant Your Postcode project. We are working to have the unofficial website taken down.

……. get involved

If you want to stand up for your local green spaces, there are lots of ways to get involved with CPRE Sussex, including becoming a member, helping with funds, reporting threats and identifying opportunities. Find out more at www.cpresussex.org.uk/get-involved/

Paul Steedman

Director, CPRE Sussex

Jenni Cresswell

Plant Your Postcode project manager

Penny Hudd, Trustee and tree lead, CPRE Sussex

Plant Your Postcode is a volunteer-led CPRE project