Imagine London without its magnificent trees and the stark brutality of the remaining landscape if they were to disappear due to lack of professional care and the threat posed by pests and diseases.
That was the clarion call from the Arboricultural Association to the All-Party Parliamentary Gardening and Horticulture Group (APPGHG).
Following last year’s well received presentation on quantifying the value of trees and the importance of tree establishment, a number of members of the group and other MPs were on hand. They included the Shadow Minister for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Dr David Drew MP and Rebecca Pow MP, current Chairman of the Conservative Backbench Policy Committee on Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Delivering the keynote presentation to the distinguished audience John Parker, Chairman of The London Tree Officers Association, spoke passionately on how Tree officers and the urban forest are suffering after years of austerity to detriment of public.
In a memorable closing address John, using the results from the Associations recently completed a survey of UK tree officers among his evidence, stated that we must gather more data on our urban trees and that support is urgently needed from Government so we don't lose the specialisms of these custodians.
“Money spent on trees and tree officers must be regarded as investment, not a cost,” he said.
With each London tree officer managing 5,000 trees, John asked which other public sector manager was responsible for assets of such value. Approximately 40% of our trees are managed by the public sector, and tree officers are under severe pressure.
Following a successful event, the association will continue to lobby government and promote our industry to the wider public.
At the annual meeting, the Association put forward three key asks to George Eustice, Minister of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to put professional tree work and trees higher on the agenda.
