Call on Kent County Council to plant more trees on our streets

Roger Gough, Leader of Kent County Council

Thanet doesn’t have enough trees on it’s streets and we want the council to fix this. In comparison with other areas of Kent, Thanet has a very low tree coverage. According to the website Urban Tree Cover Margate has a 10.2% of urban tree canopy and Ramsgate a 14% while Canterbury has a 23% and Dover a 29.2%.

There are many benefits for having street trees in Thanet. Some of these include:

  • Beautifying the area

  • Improving people’s feeling of well being

  • Reducing noise levels

  • Reducing air pollution

  • Encouraging wildlife with birds, insects and other animas in trees and provide a corridor for wildlife to move from one area to another

  • Help to lower carbon dioxide levels

  • Lowering temperature in the city during heat waves

    Reference: Turner-Skoff, J. B., Cavender, N. (2019) ‘The benefits of trees for livable and sustainable communities’. Plants, People, Planet, 1 (4), pp. 325-335

It is Kent County Council that is responsible for trees on our streets and for looking after our existing street trees and we need them to act now.

Kent County Council has  Pledged to plant a tree for every person who lives within the authority’s area – which totals just over 1.5million – in an effort to protect and enhance the county’s natural landscape. Yet Kent County Council asks for £280 per tree in a grass verge to £540 when a new tree pit is required in a footpath , This is unaffordable for local communities and individuals.

It is important not only to increase our tree cover but also to take care of the already existing large mature trees. Large mature trees are  one of the main habitats for insect populations.  An amazing amount and variety of insects live in one tree.  We currently have such a rapid decline in insect populations so it is important to protect the insects we have.

Kent County Council was awarded £500,000 of funding from HM Treasury for the Trees Outside Woodlands Project and we would like to see some investment in our area.


Add your name to this petition from Friends of the Earth Thanet to call for more trees on our streets.

To: Roger Gough, Leader of Kent County Council
From: [Your Name]

We call on KCC to commit to planting new street trees in Thanet District.

Street trees bring health benefits. They can reduce pollution by cleaning the air, give us cooler shaded walking routes and bring beauty and nature to our doorstep which boosts wellbeing.

Street trees can provide a refuge for wildlife and help protect us from flooding as well as reducing windspeed and noise.

Thanet has less tree canopy cover than most of the UK. Margate in particular has only 10.2% canopy cover, much lower than the target of 15% for coastal areas.

Please bring trees to our streets and neighbourhoods.