Trees

Colchester Civic Society continues to be actively engaged in planting and protecting trees in many locations around Colchester. Over the years, this has included substantial planting in the area around Jumbo and the Mercury Theatre (as shown in the adjoining photo), on Kings Meadow, at East Bay and North Station as well as contributions to major projects such as Charter Wood, that are intended to increase the tree population in the Borough.
The Society also plants individual trees, often replacing ones that have died. For example, we replaced the huge horse chestnut beside Southway House with a more fume resistant plane tree and will be replacing a dead tree in the Priory grounds with a lime. The Milennium Oak in the Castle Park was planted as a result of a request by a Civic Society member.
Although Essex Highways plant trees beside major roads – there has been a sizeable planting scheme for the new roads in Myland, for example – they no longer routinely undertake the planting, or even replacement, of trees in residential streets, something that Colchester Civic Society deeply regrets. This, they say, is due to financial constraints.

County Highways may be prepared to commission the replacement of dead and damaged trees where action has been specifically requested, but this is now very rare.  Tree pruning is still carried out, but only where specifically requested.

Requests for tree replacements and pruning can be done directly through the Essex County Highways Portal. Here is a link https://www.essexhighways.org/transport-and-roads.aspx    But be prepared to follow this up and enlist help from a ward councilor.

The Society will continue to monitor this situation and take every opportunity to encourage tree planting (and ongoing maintenance) of trees in the public realm, be it by councils or developers.

If you would like to contact the Civic Society on issues of this sort then email us using info@colchestercivicsociety.co.uk