May 14th, 2020.


Lewes District Council is planting 60 new trees across the district as part of its ambition to deliver full climate resilience by 2030.

Landscaping contractors are working in pairs to plant the young trees while keeping to two-metre social distancing guidelines and travelling in separate vehicles.

Councillor Matthew Bird, Cabinet member for Sustainability, said: “Despite the difficulties we are now facing with the pandemic, tackling climate change remains a priority for the Co-operative Alliance and this planting is the start of a longer-term initiative to grow the number of trees and hedgerows in our district.

"Due to the Covid-19 outbreak, we were not able to consult with local residents in the usual way ahead of planting but decided it was essential to continue with this planned work otherwise these young trees would have died."

The council is also inviting people to sponsor a tree in a public place. The scheme is now open for expressions of interest for the planting season beginning in the autumn.

Councillor Julie Carr, Cabinet member for Recycling, Waste and Open Spaces, said: “Planting trees is really important for a number of reasons - trees help to reduce air pollution, they also provide habitats for a large number of species, plus it is a great way to help off-set carbon emissions.”


For more details on tree sponsorship visit lewes-eastbourne.gov.uk/sponsor-a-tree