You may be aware that the Mayor of London’s draft Mayor’s Transport Strategy (MTS) is now open for public consultation. We are pleased to note that specific reference has been made to trees, which are featured under the category “healthy streets and healthy people”. Proposal 41 states that:
The Mayor, through TfL and the boroughs, will retain existing trees and plant new ones on the Transport for London Road Network (TLRN) and borough roads to protect tree canopy cover. Street tree numbers on the TLRN will be increased by 1 per cent every year between 2016 and 2025; and the Mayor will encourage boroughs to increase the numbers of street trees along their streets.
This is a welcome inclusion, but one which at consultation stage is potentially at risk of being watered down or removed. We are therefore recommending that anyone who has an interest in trees in London helps to support Proposal 41.
You can contribute to the consultation by completing the questionnaire on TfL’s website, here:
Visit the TfL website
If you are commenting as an individual then the relevant section to complete is Question 10. You do not have to fill out the rest of the survey unless you want to.
Suggested text for the comments section in Question 10 is:
I fully support Proposal 41 and endorse the Mayor’s commitment to plant new, and retain existing, trees in order to protect and increase tree canopy cover in London.
Alternatively you can email your comments to consultations@tfl.gov.uk
The full MTS can be found here:
Download the Mayor’ Strategy PDF
…the relevant section can be found on page 105 of the consultation PDF.
Consultation is open until October 2nd 2017