Those of us with small gardens do what we can to plant trees and to encourage wildlife. Gardeners and birdwatchers know that every tree and every foot of hedgerow makes a difference. So it's heartbreaking to see mature trees cut down and hedgerows ripped out and replaced with... roads.
Edithmead roundabout is such an example: at least 50 mature trees - maybe more - have been removed for the road layout works. While our wildlife is looking for places to nest, anyone passing through Edithmead to Burnham or Highbridge must notice how exposed and barren the landscape is now. We could find no solid plan for replacing the Edithmead trees, other than a somewhat wooly statement about a "full landscaping package for greenery after the project has concluded". This is counter to the advice of conservationists, who recommend succession planting - saplings going in before mature trees are removed, in order to help with continuity for wildlife.
The 2022 Somerset Lib Dem manifesto pledged 150,000 trees per year (60 - 150 hectares); then, in its Tree Strategy of 2023, Somerset Council promised 240 hectares of trees every year until 2033, with a view to increasing the tree cover from 8% to 13% (the national average). In a rural county known for orchards and ancient oaks, surely we should be aiming higher than the national average... but let's get there first because we seem to be going backwards.
The official figures for tree-planting by Somerset Council since the Lib Dems took office are:-
2023-2024: 11.2 hectares
2024-2025: No data
2025-2026: No data
Graham Godwin-Pearson, who called for a new woodland near Axbridge and Cheddar in 2022 (the idea was thrown own by Somerset Council), says, "Somerset Council should be planting as many trees as possible - not because they promised to, but because it's the right thing to do for our wildlife and for our communities.
"It's not even something that would cost a lot of money: in council budget terms, parcels of land are cheap, and there are plenty of members of the public who would jump at the chance to plant a few trees, perhaps even paying a few pounds to dedicate them. It would be an excellent way to get school children to engage with nature. Most of all, it would help nature to begin repairing in our county. There are many benefits if the council would just prioritise it."
