Not strictly SE23 related however I know that some of the regulars on here live in the Blythe Hill / 'Catford Borders' area so I thought this might be of interest.

I've recently moved from Forest Hill to Catford and have started a campaign to plant more street trees as some of our roads are rather sparse.

As part of the campaign I have mapped all of the trees on public land in Lewisham - the map containing SE23 can be seen here: http://maps.catfordstreettrees.org.uk/?w...ton%20Park

Very enterprising. I have noticed some of the Cherry trees in my area are coming to the end of their useful lives with some dying back quite badly but are not being replaced. Cutbacks I guess.

Great idea, two trees were cut down on my road in front of my house (SE23) and never replaced and it really changed the look of the street. I understand why the trees in question had to go, but not why they weren't replaced. I did contact the council to ask when they would be planting new trees but had no response.

The matter of the fact is that trees cause more problems than they solve. At most, they make a street look a slight more appealing but that's nothing compared to problems they cause. Their roots can cause damage to the foundation of houses, not to mention the lifting on pavements which leads to trip hazards. Furthermore, birds rest on the branches and drop their mess on parked cars. And also there is maintenance cost.

Not worth the hassle in my opinion

Jane the second
If you are feeling flush then I believe Lewisham run a scheme where you can sponsor a street tree.

Trees also block the light from some street lamps.

Trolls cause more problems than they solve. At most, they can make a local forum look slightly more appealing, but that's nothing compared to the problems they cause. Their roots can cause damage to the foundations of any sensible thread, not to mention the lowering of spirits which leads to reading hazards. Furthermore, trolls rest on threads and drop their mess on unsuspecting members. And also, there is the cost of hot air.

Not worth the hassle in my opinion

I love the trees we have, am grateful for the vital job they do in removing CO2 and pollutants from our city, and am very sad to have seen the loss of a beautiful Rowan from the end of Rockbourne Road and a Lime (?) from the end of Colfe Road (even though the latter used to drip stickiness on our car).

Love the trees, guys!

And so with one well aimed blow Tinkerbell slew the troll and sense returned to the forum?

Tinkerbell

"Street trees are a distinct component of urban forests and provide a wide range of social, environmental and economic benefits to communities. " (Report by Forest Research.) Without the trees we'd be breathing in even more pollution than we already do.

If the correct types of trees are planted, and they are properly maintained, they shouldn't cause a problem with roots. Fortunately I do have a tree in my front garden which is providing lots of beautiful greenery, and a perch for many birds, in the absence of the street trees. Lots of people comment on how much they like it.

Or I could dig it up and cover it in tarmac to park my car like many front gardens have sadly done around here, it would be less hassle in the long run.... but then I wouldn't be able to sit in my window and watch the swifts swooping round the tree or have the enjoyment of the blossom floating down in spring.

Unfortunately it often seems that cars are more important than people in cities!

I think you can sponsor a tree in Brockley but am not aware of anything similar in Forest Hill?

Tinkerbell, I'll give you a thumbs up for effort on that last comment.

But, you fail to provide any counter arguments. All of what I say is true but because you happen to disagree with it, you result to changing the subject.

Face it, what I say is right and you know it.

There are certainly many more benefits to street trees than simply looking nice, for example:

• Reducing pollution
• Reducing road noise
• Providing shade from the sun - mitigating 'urban heat islands'
• Absorbing rain water and contributing to 'sustainable drainage systems'
• Acting as a buffer from high winds
• Providing 'traffic calming' & reducing the speeds of motorists
• Becoming a habitat for wildlife
  

The point about potential damage to the pavement & foundations is definitely a valid one and one which needs to be considered whenever a new tree is planted. Fortunately, as this is an issue for councils across the country quite a lot of research has been done on how to mitigate these risks - e.g. see http://www.forestry.gov.uk/fr/urgc-7evbwr from the Forestry Commission.
One of the solutions is to install 'root directors' surrounding the tree pit to ensure that the roots go deep enough before extending out horizontally:
   

Regarding the bird mess, I acknowledge that this is a potential issue however I don't think that it is sensible to base any tree planting decisions on this, after all we do not live in sterile environment and will always share it with wildlife. E.g. What about the birds that fly over your car now? Or the cats which won't think twice before jumping on your car? Or the Saharan dust etc. etc.

Finally, Sherwood points out that trees can block street lights. This is another very valid point and one which is definitely considered when choosing a suitable site for a new tree. (Also I'll add that I believe when Skanska redid the lights in Forest Hill it was the lights which were badly placed rather than the trees! )

And last but not least house prices are higher in leafy streets. Oddly Lewisham council do seem to have orcish tendencies towards the trees in their care witness what they did in Trilby Road.

I'm sorry but these arguments are very poor. I really don't think we need more trees on our streets.

Nah, I call troll. Your views seem to me designed to rile, not to promote intelligent debate.

There does seem to be a lot of flooding on the streets near to me when we get heavy rain, the drains just don't seem to be able to cope as the water often sits there for days.

No, people just tend to disagree with my views, I'm not trying to start arguments.

It seems most of the people on this forum have those tradition views on how we should live e.g. Independent traders on high streets. And frankly I don't agree with it. I have more of a modern way of thinking and people on here can't comprehend it. Not my fault

It's not what you say, it's how you say it, Robin.

Please can we now get this thread back to the trees discussion as I am not very interested in your opinions about yourself.

CatrordStreetTrees
Do you know the selection criteria for replacement trees? It strikes me as odd that in a road which not so long ago was almost entirely lined with cherry trees (albeit different cultivars) LBL has now seen fit to insert the odd birch tree.

Actually carbon dioxide forms 0.04% of the earth's atmosphere. I don't think we really need trees to reduce our co2 level!

Can someone explain how a tree reduces pollution?
What exactly does it take out of the air?