Million pound project to plant thousands of trees across Manchester begins

A £1 million project to plant thousands of new trees across Manchester gets underway next week.

The two-year Tree Action Mcr scheme will involve planting everything from street trees and larger ‘beacon’ trees in parks and cemeteries to hedges, orchards and potentially even new community woodlands. 

The first phase, say the Council, will focus on city wards which have historically had fewer street trees and less overall tree cover.

These include Ancoats and Beswick, Ardwick, Cheetham, Clayton and Openshaw, Gorton and Abbey Hey, Miles Platting and Newton Heath, Moss Side, Old Moat, Withington and Woodhouse Park.  

First to benefit will be Old Moat ward where almost 50 new trees will be planted on Whitchurch Road (33 pink flowering cherries), Princess Road (10 sweet gum trees) and Old Moat Lane (three slow growing small holly trees.) 

But ultimately, the intention is that every ward in the city will get new trees through the Tree Action scheme.

The Council is working with partners including City of Trees and Friends of the Earth to map and help identify opportunities for planting.  

Trees bring a wide range of benefits. As well as their visual appeal they help improve air quality, reduce flood risk and counter the effects of climate change by absorbing and storing carbon.  

“Tree Action will be the most ambitious and focused tree-planting scheme Manchester has ever seen,” said Councillor Angeliki Stogia. 

“The new trees all around the city will be a visible demonstration of our deep-rooted commitment to greening the city and Manchester becoming zero carbon by 2038 at the latest.

“While as a Council we are investing in initiatives such as electric bin lorries and retrofitting buildings to make them more energy efficient as part of our carbon reduction plans, we shouldn’t lose sight of the benefits which more natural solutions can have too. 

“Quite simply having more trees is good for our communities, good for our city and good for our planet. 

“We’ll be sharing more details about how Manchester people can get involved as the scheme progresses.”