making chadwell heath greener
Back in 2018, the Chadwell Heath South Residents’ Association pledged to find ways to make our neighbourhood greener and more environmentally friendly. This process started with the rejuvenation of our Community Garden on the corner of Wangey Road/Cedar Park Gardens. Our next aim was to initiate a street tree planting scheme in Chadwell Heath.
After two years of discussions with Redbridge Council, Vision Redbridge Culture & Leisure and their strategic partners Trees for Cities, we are delighted with their recent announcement that up to 50 street trees will be planted in Spring 2021. The following six streets have been confirmed:
High Road
Wangey Road
Cedar Park Gardens
Birchdale Gardens
Mansted Gardens
Montpelier Gardens
These new street trees will contribute to biodiversity, encourage urban wildlife, soften the impact of car parking, help regulate air quality and improve our well-being.
Fourteen different tree species have been selected:
Large tree species
Liquidambar (Liquidambar styraciflua 'Worplesdon')
European Hop Hornbeam (Ostrya carpinifolia)
Nettle Tree (Celtis australis)
Medium tree species
Ornamental Pear (Pyrus calleryana 'Chanticleer')
Whitebeam (Sorbus aria 'Lutescens')
Field Maple (Acer campestre 'Elsrijk')
Small tree species
Pink Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica 'Rosea')
Snowdrop Tree (Halesia carolina)
Cherry Blossom Sunset Boulevard (Prunus 'Sunset Boulevard')
Great White Cherry (Prunus Tai Haku)
Japanese Cherry Kanzan (Prunus Kanzan)
Cornelian Cherry (Cornus mas)
Very small tree species
Broad Leaved Cockspur Thorn (Crataegus x prunifolia)
Japanese Privet (Ligustrum japonicum)
All tree species were chosen by experienced Tree Officers and Landscape Architects. They will not have large roots, but will grow to a suitable, small height and size for city street trees. Trees for Cities will water and maintain the trees for three years after planting. This includes regular watering in the spring and summer months. After this, the trees will be maintained by Redbridge Council.
We wish to thank Cllr Kam Rai (Cabinet Member for Finance, Leisure and Culture), Peter Marshall (Arboricultural Officer), Laki Begum (East Neighbourhood Education and Engagement Officer) and John Keaveny (Community Engagement Coordinator for Trees for Cities) for their support in making this happen.