A TREE is to be planted in the town to mark the Queens 70-year-rule and will mark the start of a long-term project that could see the creation of an urban forest in Westbury.
Westbury Town Council will engage in talks with Wiltshire Council over where exactly the tree will be planted, to ensure the best location for the urban forest. A letter from a resident had spurred this idea along, and has been supported by Westbury Council.
In the letter, the resident said, “In the centre of Leigh Park, near the bridge, is a triangle of land marked, which, if you look at the Wiltshire map of trees that have tree preservation orders, it should have a mature tree on/in it.
“Perhaps this would be a good spot to plant a tree for the Jubilee in Westbury. Not the only place but perhaps it could be the start of a Westbury Urban Forest.”
The Queen’s Green Canopy is a tree planting initiative created to mark Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022. Everyone across the UK is being invited to plant trees from October 2021, when the tree planting season begins, through to the end of the Jubilee year in 2022.
The scheme was discussed at the recent meeting of the highways, planning and development committee of the town council and more information was provided by Wiltshire Council.
In the letter sent to the town council, the estate manager for Wiltshire Council, Jenny Rowe wrote, “Wiltshire Council are formulating the strategy to support more planting on municipal land to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, but they are happy for trees to be planted under licence to Westbury Town Council for a minimum of fifty years. During that time, the town council will need to fund the cost of the tree, planting and its continued maintenance.
“It’s clear that Wiltshire Council are looking at extensive appropriate tree planting across the county and the town council may wish to consider leaving it to them to provide a fitting tribute within a larger planting scheme. At this moment, we have no idea of the costs involved with planting a mature tree and maintaining it for fifty years, as well as the possibility for the removal at the end of its life.”
Westbury cllr Mike Sutton said, “We support the principle of the planting of this tree, but we would ask Wiltshire to consider this site [proposed by the resident] when they get round to their overall plan.”
