| Spotlight Trees for Congleton
Approx. 15,000 plants/trees were planted, an amazing achievement thanks to a large group of volunteers and lots of hard work, fantastic effort!
The volunteer what’s app group is working very well.
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SITES, PROJECTS AND OTHER ACTIVITY
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Approx no. of plants
(tbc) |
| Replacement planting and maintenance of existing planting
Carried out at a number of previously planted sites in Autumn 2021, including Newcastle Road, Windsor Place, Padgbury Lane, Marshall Grove, Quinta Park, Bowness Court, Derwent Drive, Hillfields Close and Lower Heath Play Area. Where space allowed, additional plants were put in e.g. at Newcastle Road (20), Derwent Drive (10+) and Windsor Place (10+). |
117+ |
| Hedges
7 hedges totalling 1072 plants were funded by Tree Council Hedge Fund grants, at Derwent Drive, Isis Close-Tamar Close, Havannah Lane, Mardale Close, Salford Place, Redfern Avenue and Windsor Place. Branching Out Fund grants supported 3 hedges at Thirlmere Court, Hankinson’s Field and Burns Road totalling 884 plants.
Further hedge planting (total length 106m) funded through Congleton Partnership/Congleton Town Council was carried out at Back Lane, West Heath. 537 plants |
2493 |
| Tree and shrub planting
The largest number (642) was at St John’s playing fields, Buglawton, facilitated by Cheshire Wildlife Trust and funded by Mersey Forest. Around 360+, largely funded by Dane Valley Community Energy, were planted at Congleton Hydro, Havannah to restore woodland damaged by construction. 25 trees and shrubs, funded by Congleton Partnership/Congleton Town Council were planted at Mardale Close. Smaller numbers of individual trees were planted on other sites. |
1027 |
| Orchard planting
Fruit trees were planted at Windsor Place (14), Bridgewater Close (10), Mardale Close (5), Salford Place (4), Back Lane (3), Quayside-Goldfinch Close (4), Redfern Avenue (3), Banky Fields (5), St John’s play area (4), Mossley school (5), Ascot Close (2). |
69 |
| Native black poplar project
These rare but locally native trees have been planted at sites along the Dane Valley, on farms, smallholdings and woodlands, at the Quinta arboretum, at Eaton Bank school, Astbury Mere Country Park, Congleton Hydro, land belonging to Cheshire East Council, and residential open space. |
96 |
| Cherry tree planting – Queen’s Platinum Jubilee
Ornamental varieties, native species and edible cherries, funded by Congleton Town Council, have been planted on public open space, schools, War Memorial Hospital, care homes, and other community locations, with planting ongoing. |
70 |
| Oaks and other trees planted by private landowners
560 trees, comprising 460 oaks and 100 birch trees were handed over to a group carrying out planting at a large site to the south of Bosley reservoir. A mixture of 107 trees and shrubs was handed over for planting at The Hollies, Somerford, a site which had been adversely affected by the construction of the Link Road, and 201 for planting at Mount Pleasant, Key Green to support the biodiversity enhancement that was already in progress. In each case the cost of the trees was more than covered by donations made by the landowners, and additional sums can be put towards buying more trees for planting in the 2022/23 season. |
868 |
| Trees for climate planting on farms (CWT) |
3264 |
| Other planting, tbc, individuals, private landowners etc |
? |
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8004 |
NOTES
Trees for Congleton advice to private landowners
Planting advice, and in some cases planting plans, was provided to a range of property owners including local residents, smallholders and farmers. It is not known yet how much of the planting discussed was carried out. At Far Whittles Farm, North Rode, and Hall Farm, Swettenham it is likely that larger scale planting would be best carried out with the help of agri-environment or other grants available to farmers. There is also scope in future for landowners to make use of funds available from developers to carry out off-site biodiversity net gain schemes (this is already happening to some extent e.g. at Hall Farm ponds have been created with Link Road funding, and TFC has provided native black poplars to be added). At Sandylane Farm, close to Congleton, it is not known whether any suggestions were taken forward.
At Hayfields and Carlton Barns at Key Green, initial planting schemes were discussed with landowners in conjunction with CWT, with CWT then implementing ‘Trees for Climate’ schemes on behalf of the Mersey Forest funding. The final total of Trees for Climate schemes, which also includes Briery Croft at Eaton, Mill Cottage at Somerford Booths is not yet known.
Sites discussed this season but not planted
Potential planting along Holmes Chapel, Sandbach Road and Macclesfield Road/Manchester Road verges has not yet been carried out due to lack of support from Cheshire East Council. Planting at Ambleside-Keswick Court, Padgbury Lane, though supported by local residents, was dropped due to land ownership issues. At Quayside/Goldfinch Close residents had opposing views and planting did not go forward. At the former Havannah Mill, there was insufficient time to get consent from the landowner although residents were in favour.
Planting stock for the future
Around 350 oaks were not suitable for planting this season as they were small or in poor condition, and remain in the tree nursery at the Vale Allotments. A selection will be made later on, and the rest disposed of. In the meantime, around 40 young oaks, Norway maples and horse chestnut seedlings were donated to Trees for Congleton and can be planted out in 2022/3.
For the TREE TOTALISER – Actual 2019/20 1364 (5% target); actual 20/21 5282 (18%); actual 21/22 8004 (27%) =51% target
Remainder 14639 (49% of 30,000 target) |
With regards to the hedge planting at the war memorial hospital, I find it very inconsiderate that I and all other residents on the lane have not received a letter or had any communication from Trees of Congleton or any other body involved about this project. I bought my property 14 years ago because it had a nice outlook and on Friday 23rd February I opened my curtains to find lots of people planting, when I approached them I was told it was going to be a 1.5m (5ft) hedge, then on Saturday when I returned home from work I saw them planting further than the front of the hospital (along the road side where I drive to access my drive) and was told that they plan to edge the whole area and join with the hawthorn hedge directly opposite my property! This will considerably alter my outlook (and probably the value) and I don’t feel that this project is justifiable. These are not 30,000 MORE trees and hedges they are to replace all the ones ripped out by houses that are being built. Would any of these people be happy to have this done outside their house.
Thanks for the feedback, Jane. The hedge is being planted on behalf of the NHS as a contribution to marking the hospital’s centenary. The NHS supports planting on its grounds as explained here – https://nhsforest.org/. We have included plants that are known to be effective in filtering out pollutants as well as contributing to amenities. It is unlikely that the NHS Estates maintenance team would allow the hedge to grow higher than the existing hedge along Bunts Lane. I believe the planting team advised you to contact NHS Estates, hopefully, they will be able to address your fears of an altered outlook.
Many passers-by stopped to say how much they liked what we were doing, and a few residents also helped with the planting.
I contacted Estates on Friday, still waiting for a response. The passers-by won’t have to look at a 5ft hedge everyday because they don’t live there and ‘the residents’ helping were certainly NOT from Bunts Lane. Don’t centenary’s usually have a statue or something? I believe that a letter was sent to residents of Goldfinch and Quayside and they said no to planting on the green space around them and no planting went ahead, so is it a case of the more people that say no to this the more notice you will take. I would like a reply as to why the residents of Bunts Lane were not sent a letter? and why do you think it is okay to put this hedge all the way around? I would also like to have the name and contact details of the person at the top who has authorised this. And as I asked in my previous comment ‘would those people like it’.???
With regard to public land like Goldfinch Close, consultations are carried out to get residents’ views. In this case, as stated its private land so NHS estates would be who authorised the planting.