Salisbury City Council wants to hear about the trees in our city which are meaningful to you

A public consultation is now open to give you the opportunity to inform the team on the trees that are important to you, which will be put towards the development of the City Council’s Tree Strategy.

Work on surveying trees and other habitats on Salisbury City Council land and developing a Tree Strategy has been underway since the spring.

Early findings already show that thousands of trees line Salisbury’s streets, providing summer shade, autumn colour and homes for wildlife. They absorb pollution and give us oxygen. Some have been here for centuries; others are more recent additions to our urban landscape. Without them our city would be a different place.

Annie Child, the City Clerk said, “As you walk through Salisbury’s streets you will walk past some of the thousands of trees that stand across Salisbury. Trees provide us with the oxygen we breathe, homes for wildlife, brighten our city and so much more. Each of these trees are unique. Some are ancient and have witnessed Salisbury develop over the centuries; others are newer but are important additions to the urban landscape. Help us understand what these trees mean to you. Let us know about a tree you think is special or why trees are important to you.”

The consultation is open until the 1st November 2022. A public engagement event covering the wider Tree Strategy and emerging findings will be hosted at the Guildhall later this year.

The Salisbury City Council Tree and Ecosystem Strategy will confirm the tree stock and diversity on City Council land, highlight areas that could support more trees, opportunities to introduce enhanced tree management and showcase the range of nature-based benefits from trees including pollination, landscape, wellness, cultural, air quality, biodiversity, carbon and natural flood management. There are no plans to remove any trees.