“Sidmouth/Sidford urban areas are low on canopy cover… Therefore we should encourage more urban tree planting.” [Sidmouth Arboretum Tree Survey & Report 2014/15]
“Urban trees make a place more liveable” [Sidmouth Arboretum Tree Survey & Report 2024/25]
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There are lots of good reasons to plant trees – and, in particular, there are lots of good reasons to ‘Fill our streets with trees!’. Planting trees in our urban areas would keep things cooler, safer, greener, more pleasant for one.
Ruskins, one of the country’s leading tree specialists, has just put together a blog piece on just one of these issues, namely, how trees and hedges combat the urban heat island effect:
The Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect, a phenomenon which sees urban areas becoming significantly warmer than the surrounding rural landscapes, particularly at night, is now a major environmental challenge. The concrete, asphalt and materials of our built environment absorb and retain heat, while the lack of green spaces exacerbates the problem, leading to uncomfortable temperatures, increased energy consumption and even health risks, but there is a solution…
And that means planting new trees and even re-locating mature trees and hedges.
Which is something the Sidmouth Arboretum has been addressing.
Back in 2014, it conducted an ambitious Tree Survey – where urban trees were discussed:
Trees are a long term project and – so that our green and pleasant valley can continue to prosper – we need to get some facts and figures on the values and benefits of trees.
THE GUARDIAN 15 August 2015 Patrick Barkham wrote: “Our ‘urban forests’ can make us healthier, wealthier and happier”. …Trees on British streets lack any government department or national body to look after them.”
We invited Treeconomics to help us survey our trees. During the ‘leaf on’ period of 2014 a team of volunteer surveyors visited 201 randomly selected plots, recording a wide range of tree and shrub species, their size and condition, and the type of land use. Data was entered by Jon and Penny Ball, and analysed by the i-Tree Eco model, which was combined with regional weather and pollution data to produce results relating to the structure and function of trees…
The i-Tree Eco system is designed to use standard field data from randomly selected plots, and local air pollution and meteorological data, to quantify ‘urban forest’ structure and functions.
Canopy cover
The Sid valley has 23.2% canopy cover, provided by an estimated 405,000 trees. Average for south west England 11.2%. The canopy is area of land covered by a tree when in full leaf. Exeter has the same percentage of canopy cover, with much higher human population density. So Sidmouth/Sidford urban areas are low on canopy cover, though Sid valley has good canopy cover when take into account the wooded hills of Sidbury rural area. Therefore we should encourage more urban tree planting, for instance by working with Councils to green the car parks.
Next Steps?
“The condition of a community’s trees and collectively its ‘urban forest’ are usually the first impressions a community projects to its visitors. Trees do not just attract tourists. People are willing to travel further, visit more frequently and pay, on average, 12% more for goods and services in commercial districts with trees. Woods and trees also provide jobs and other economic benefits” (Woodland Trust)
Things have moved on considerably over the following decade – although because planting trees in concrete and asphalt is not exactly easy, it has taken time.
The Sidmouth Arboretum has just released its 2024 TREE SURVEY REPORT – where it discusses the issues and what might be done:
In the 10 years between our 2014 and 2024 surveys, Sidmouth Arboretum volunteers started planting trees and young whips (small trees) in the urban areas, working closely with Sidmouth Town Council (STC), East Devon District Council, Devon County Council, and the Sid Vale Association (SVA).
The Arboretum will continue to work with local groups and landowners in the community, using the recommendations included in the main Tree Survey report to plant a variety of different tree species and maintain existing trees. We want to use them to help reduce flood risk and keep the special treescape of the Sid Valley beautiful for both its residents and its many visitors. While we can plant the most trees on larger land areas in the Sid Valley, we are also very keen to add trees in specific spots within urban areas in our valley, even though that can sometimes be a bit trickier, needing to coordinate with underground services and the multiple ownership issues.
Urban trees make a place more liveable [photo of Sidmouth’s bus station, aka The Triangle, taken by the Sidmouth Arboretum]
At the town council’s Environment Cttee meeting in July this year, more details were given of how the Arboretum intends to increase the urban tree canopy:
The Chair gave a report on a proposed initiative to plant trees within the built environment in Sidmouth and outlined possible next steps. The Chair had been working alongside Cllr Willis Fleming with the It was noted that approval from Devon County Council would be required. Mapping would be undertaken to identify the location of underground services at potential planting sites. This initiative was recognised as a new challenge for Sidmouth Arboretum, which would need to determine suitable planting methods for each location— ensuring the right tree was planted in the right place at the right cost. RESOLVED: that the Council working with Sidmouth Arboretum, aims towards the planting of 250 trees in urban areas over the next three-Year period.
And at last month’s Environment Cttee meeting, a further report and update was given by the Arboretum, including what’s happening with plans for the urban tree canopy:
The Arboretum is working with the Town Council in its aim to increase the urban canopy by 250 trees by 2029, with some specimen trees planted to improve key townscape points. A preliminary list of potential sites has been prepared and work will continue with landowners and utilities companies to progress the initiative.
Also last month, at the Arboretum’s regular committee meeting, a special report was presented, looking at possible sites for planting trees in the Sid Valley’s urban areas, with the feasibility and practicalities discussed.
More to be revealed at November’s Tree Celebration from the Sidmouth Arboretum…
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