New trees planted to replace ash dieback victims

Published: 14 January 2022

New trees are being planted in Exeter to replace old ones that have fallen victim to Ash Dieback disease.

Exeter City Council has a proud record of tree planting across the city and maintaining its green spaces.

Before Christmas the Council announced its winter planting plans for the city. A total of 160 trees are being planted across all parts of Exeter, keeping the city green and helping Exeter achieve its ambitions of being net zero by 2030.

The Council is also receiving a number of small trees (whips) to be planted as re-stocking in woodland areas where trees have been lost to ash dieback.

One area affected was Honiton Road, where a variety of young trees were planted just before Christmas.

The replacement trees have pleased one local resident who wrote to the Council to say “thank you”.

She said she was devastated when she heard the ash trees had to be removed because of disease but contacted the Council and was assured a planting programme was in place.

In a letter to the Council she said: “I was delighted when prior to Christmas 2021 a variety of young trees were planted in replacement and just wish to say a personal ‘thank you to everyone involved.

“It brought joy and a huge smile when this took place and I have no doubt that the survival of many threatened bird species and nature itself will take advantage of this generous gift as the years unfold.

“I believe that when one needs to raise an issue and positive action is taken it is courteous to express appreciation and I will be contacting our local Councillors in the same vein,” she added.

The trees planted were magnolia, western red cedar, robinia and Portuguese laurel, as well as eight whips of hazel, hawthorn, crab apple and blackthorn varieties.

The Council has joined forces with Devon Wildlife Trust as part of the Saving Devon’s Treescapes programme and is regularly planting and replacing trees lost to disease right across the city.

Cllr David Harvey, Lead Councillor for City Management said: “We’re immensely proud of our trees in Exeter and appreciate how much people enjoy them.

“Ash dieback is a dreadful disease, having a devastating affect not just in Exeter but across the whole of the country. But we can continue to maintain our tree canopy in the city by planting more trees and that’s what we plan to keep doing,” he added.

To find out more about Saving Devon’s Treescapes go to the Devon Wildlife Trust’s website at https://www.devonwildlifetrust.org/what-we-do/our-projects/saving-devons-treescapes