6 December 2021 – The site at Gatley Hill, Stockport is a large green space in a residential area. Working with Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council 3,445 trees are to be planted by the end of this planting season.
Trees for Climate tree planting at Gatley Hill
The objectives met for the Gatley Hill site include:
- Preventing flooding downstream in Gatley Village
- Diversifying the tree and shrub species mix within the site
- Encouraging a greater diversity of wildlife
- Creating a new woodland for the people of Gatley to enjoy and an educational resource for the local scout group and Gatley Primary school
“It’s fitting that we are able to mark the Queen’s long service by planting a new woodland that will itself provide us with a whole host of benefits for many years to come. We hope that in another 70 years’ time the woodland at Gatley Hill will not only be a beautiful living reminder of Her Majesty’s reign but somewhere that will continue to be enjoyed by the local community and a haven for wildlife.”
Nearly 800 trees were planted by 200 volunteers on 4 December 2021 at a special planting day as part of The Queen’s Green Canopy (QGC) – a unique tree planting initiative created to mark Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022
Summary of the project
Nearly 800 of the trees were planted by 200 volunteers on 4 December at a special planting day as part of The Queen’s Green Canopy – a unique tree planting initiative created to mark Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022.
Greater Manchester is a Queen’s Green Canopy ‘Champion City’ and was the first city in the country to hold a ’Champion City’ planting day, which was held in partnership with SMBC and Greater Manchester Combined Authority and was attended by GM Mayor Andy Burnham, the Lord Lieutenant of Manchester and the Mayor of Stockport.
The tree species to be planted at the Gatley Hill site are a representation of British native species that both complement the existing trees and improve the biodiversity of the woodland. They include: Pedunculate oak, Sessile oak, Hornbeam, Scot’s pine and Field maple, Silver birch, Downy birch, Common alder, Holly, Hazel, Hawthorn, Rowan and Guelder Rose.
The remainder of the trees will be planted by volunteers and supporters over the next few months to complete the net planting area of 1.378 ha.
Project impact
Natural flood management and water quality:
Tree planting at Gatley Hill is particularly important for helping to intercept rainwater and increase infiltration into the ground, helping to reduce the volume of water entering the site’s adjacent brook – a known cause of flooding downstream in Gatley village. Work undertaken by consultants for SMBC identified the tree planting area as one of a combination of interventions in the area that could help to hold back surface water runoff.
Contribution to Net Zero:
City of Trees is planting trees to increase the region’s carbon storage as part of Greater Manchester’s target of becoming net zero by 2038 and to provide many other known benefits for people and wildlife. Over its lifetime, the new woodland will be able to store 2,000 tonnes of carbon.
Gatley Hill Tree Planting – Partners
