Benefits of Trees

Trees and hedgerows form an important part of our environment and in the delivery of sustainable development. The retention and planting of new trees and hedges are crucial for environmental, social and economic reasons.

Trees contribute considerably to the amenity of the landscape and street scene, add maturity to new developments, make places more attractive, and help soften the built environment by enhancing views, breaking up view lines and screening unattractive buildings and undesirable views.

Additionally, there is a substantial body of research that supports the economic, environmental and social benefits that trees bring to urban areas and the contributions that they make to people’s quality of life and sense of wellbeing. Find out more Woodlands Trust.

 

CHAT TO AN EXPERT

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPORTANCE

  • Reduce localised temperature extremes
  • Provide shade, making streets and buildings cooler in summer
  • Produce oxygen and store carbon
  • Help improve air quality by absorbing pollutants
  • Help to reduce traffic noise, absorbing and deflecting sound
  • Help to reduce local wind speeds
  • Increase biodiversity and provide food and shelter for wildlife
  • Intercept and absorb rainfall thereby reducing flood risk

ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE

  • Improve the environmental performance of buildings and therefore the economic performance through reducing heating and cooling costs
  • Provide mature landscapes that increase development site values
  • Assist the increase of property values as trees grow
  • Create a positive perception for prospective purchasers of property
  • Enhance the prospects of securing planning permission
  • Improve health in the urban population, thus reducing healthcare costs
  • Provide a potential long-term renewable energy resource.

SOCIAL IMPORTANCE

  • Improve the quality and perception of the urban environment.
  • Create community focal points and landmark links
  • Create sense of place and local identity
  • Benefit communities socially by instilling higher public esteem and pride for an area
  • Positive impact on both physical and mental health and wellbeing
  • Positive impact on crime reduction

All too often trees are subjected to heavy pruning, lopping or topping. Often this is not required and ends up causing damage to the trees and shortening their lives. We at Arbor Cultural believe that less is more in terms of tree surgery, with it often being more beneficial for a lighter touch.

All tree work recommendations will comply with the relevant British Standard BS3998 Tree Work – Recommendations (2010), unless otherwise specified in a report, with a clear justification for any deviation from the standard.

Trees also have significant heritage value. This is being increasingly eroded as many large and medium sized trees are being removed as they become unsafe or are simply in the way of proposed development or infrastructure.

Where trees are planted to replace those removed, often they are not given the correct conditions or management they require to enable them to reach maturity. Tree planting should be undertaken in accordance with the new British Standard, BS8545 Young Trees: From Nursery to Independence in the Landscape (2014). Frequently trees of a smaller final size are selected, which will not provide anything like the same amount of benefits.