Nearly 8,000 trees planted to improve Sunderland's biodiversity and hit carbon net zero target

The trees have been planted as part of the North East Community Forest project, a multi-million-pound initiative which has seen six local authorities join forces with environmental organisations to plant tens of thousands of trees across the region.

Over the past 12 months, ten new projects have been delivered in Sunderland, which include the planting of 7,818 trees and 0.9km of hedgerow. In addition, the Council’s Environmental Services team has planted 679 replacement street trees this year and is currently replacing a further 230 trees.

Since the start of the project, 25,775 trees and 2.6 kilometres of hedgerow, plus 11 hectares of new wildflower meadow and over 30,000 bulbs, have been planted in parks, schools and open greenspaces,

The planting has taken place thanks to £869,000 of external funding.

Cllr Lindsey Leonard, Portfolio holder for environment, transport and net zero, said: “Sunderland’s commitment to a greener future has seen the successful planting of over 7,000 new trees across the city in the past 12 months.

“We still have a long way to go however, which is why, as we reflect on this milestone, we commit to continue growing the North East Community Forest with even more planting commencing in the city over the coming weeks and months.

“It is a fantastic initiative and one that we are proud, alongside five other local authorities, to be participating in. Once complete, it will see hundreds of thousands of new trees planted across the North East.

“Together, programmes like this and the dedication of people across the city are bringing us closer to our goal of being carbon neutral by 2040.

“The benefits of these efforts also help us to improve air quality, create habitats for wildlife, offer beautiful spaces for residents to enjoy as well as helping us to significantly reduce our carbon footprint. So it is only right that we take opportunities like this to celebrate such achievements and reaffirm our commitment to building a greener future for everyone.”

With Tree Week [23 Nov – 1 Dec], marking the beginning of tree planting season, the Council has announced further tree and hedgerow planting projects, including a £2.2million project linking 13 green spaces in the Coalfield area.

The North East Community Forest is made up of planting projects across Sunderland, Gateshead, Newcastle, North and South Tyneside, and urban areas of County Durham.