Over 2,000 trees have been chopped down on council-owned land in Bristol in the last five years. Trees are removed for a variety of reasons, including ash dieback and new developments, but there are calls for more to be done to protect existing trees where possible.
The total number of trees removed across the whole city is thought to be much more, with many planned to be chopped down to make way for new flats at Bedminster Green and Baltic Wharf. However Bristol City Council is planting several thousand new trees a year, with an ambitious target.
Since 2019, 2,169 trees have been removed from council-owned land, according to a written response to a public question at the environment and sustainability policy committee on Thursday, July 25. But the committee chair initially didn’t allow a follow-up question on trees.
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Suzanne Audrey, chair of the Totterdown Residents Association, said: “I find it utterly absurd that I can’t ask questions about trees and get a response from the environment and sustainability policy committee.
“The council doesn’t have a grip at all about tree canopy, and there’s no method at the moment in place. Is it that all the excitement over the sexy City Leap heat network has sucked out officer time, and there isn’t any time to actually think about ecological and biodiversity issues?”
Several trees across the city are at risk due to the development of the heat network, a vast array of underground pipes. But one council boss said staff were still working on ecology and trees.
John Smith, executive director of growth and regeneration, said: “That’s certainly not the case. We do have officers within the council who are focused on ecological issues and tree-related issues. This area, along with other areas, is under financial pressure. But there’s certainly not a question of resourcing from those areas being diverted into City Leap in any way.”
Green Councillor Martin Fodor, chair of the environment committee, added: “I’m sorry, this is the growing pains of a committee system where we’re not all in one room, and there isn’t a mayor and cabinet all sitting together who might pass the question between them. It’s a little bit more complicated now.
“Last year, we did press for a clearer understanding of what measurement of canopy took place and whether it was increasing or otherwise because of replacements. So those issues have been raised before, and I hope that they will be able to be answered at the public health and communities committee in future.”
The concern around protecting existing trees comes from fears that saplings take many years to deliver the same benefits as older and larger trees, such as providing habitats and shade. The council is planning to increase the number of trees in Bristol, partly to protect residents against heat waves, which are expected to become more common due to climate change.
One obstacle in increasing tree canopy is ash dieback disease. There are about 30,000 ash trees in Bristol, many of which will be removed. Work has already begun focusing on trees next to footpaths and roads, as well as the edge of woodlands. Nightingale Valley in Brislington will be significantly affected, according to the council, due to a high number of ash trees there.
Just outside of Bristol, on a farm between the city and Bath, a charity is planning to plant 100,000 trees and create a new forest. Avon Needs Trees will get a £2-million funding boost from the West of England Combined Authority for their Lower Chew Forest project, after the combined authority committee voted to approve the loan on Friday, July 26.
Dan Norris, metro mayor of the West of England, said: “Support for nature is essential if we’re going to meet our Net Zero obligations. From pollinator projects that support our bee populations to funding new wildflower meadows, I’ve been working to make the West of England the most nature-friendly region in the country.
“Funding for development of the Lower Chew Forest is a massive step in the right direction. When the project is finished, it will be the biggest new woodland in the South West for a generation and I can’t wait for to see it come to life.”