BLACKBURN with Darwen Council has been given an £20,093.50 grant to plant dozens of trees and saplings in one of its deprived urban areas.
They will be planted in three locations in Blackburn’s Audley and Queens Park ward.
The cash comes from the Trees for Cities scheme.
A report by the strategic director of growth Martin Kelly tells councillors; “The award contributes towards two council objectives.
“The funding enhances the resources available to the council to pursue its Tree and Woodland Strategy to increase tree cover in the borough, especially in the urban area.
“Tree planting is a key part of the council’s Climate Emergency Action Plan to capture carbon and help the borough work towards its ambition to be carbon neutral.
“Trees for Cities (TfC) is a charity that raises funds for tree planting from legacies, individuals and businesses.
“The organisation contacted the council to say they had an allocation of funding for the Blackburn with Darwen area if the council wanted to submit a proposal.
“Potential sites for new planting that met TfC criteria (areas of deprivation with low levels of tree cover) were identified and a proposal drawn up.
“The sites and planting proposed were:
“• Queens Park: 10 heavy standards;
“• Audley Children’s Centre: 20 heavy standards and 100 whips (one to two year old trees); and
“• Audley Community Centre: nine heavy standards
“The proposal was successful and TfC offered £9,037 to cover the cost of tree purchase, stakes and planting costs and £3,685.50 per year for three years to cover 50 per cent of maintenance costs.
“Maintenance requirements will be met by the green spaces team.
“A minimum survival rate of 85 per cent is a condition of the funding award.
“The trees will be planted in the 2024/25 planting season, with support from the local community.
“Risks to the scheme are costs being higher than anticipated, lack of interest from the community in the scheme, and lower than acceptable tree survival rates.
“The funding award should cover full costs without the need for any contribution from the council.
“Should a top up be required, this can be met within reason from the climate emergency fund which has an allocation for tree projects.
“Vandalism is possible and if it leads to a survival rate of less than 85 per cent then the council will be required to replace the failed trees.
“This is potentially a future cost to the council, but is outweighed by the value of the funding award.”