Thank you volunteers!

As part of the project, we were pleased to hold a Community Tree Planting Day at Christchurch Estate on Saturday 21st March 2026. We had spring sunshine and a wonderful turnout of 30 volunteers!

Together we dug deep and planted 3 beautiful trees as well as thousands of perennials and bulbs to bring new greenery to the estate. It was fantastic to see people from the local community coming together to enjoy and care for the nature around them. It's your time, energy, and grubby gloves that make these days possible and we couldn't have done it without you!

Why are we doing a greening project here?

Trees for Cities will work with local residents to introduce new trees and plants across the estate. This will increase tree canopy cover and bring benefits like creating shade and cooling effects in the summer, slowing the flow of rainwater, adding to the biodiversity of the area and improving its appearance.   

We plan to remove some paving and add trees, grasses, shrubs, and flowers in two areas:

• In Christchurch Courtyard (the paved area between Seyssel Street and Manchester Road flats)
• Along Manchester Flats Service Road

The plans also include flower bulb planting along Kingfield Street and on the grass behind homes on Seyssel Street.

These features are intended to bring positive impact to the neighbourhood - visually enhancing the area, encouraging community ownership by engaging local residents in planting activities planned for March 2026, and increasing the environmental benefits of these spaces. 

What types of trees and plants are being planted?

The trees and plants in the design have been chosen for their climate resilience, smaller size to fit appropriately within the spaces, and their natural beauty. 

The Cornelian cherry tree (Cornus mas) has yellow spring flowers, bright red and edible fruits in summer and reddish-purple leaves in autumn. The Paul's hawthorn tree (Crataegus media paul's scarlet) has bunches of pink flowers in spring, and also grows berries for local wildlife in autumn.

Grasses such as Stipa gigantea and meadow flowers like cornflower and Achillea millefolium have been proposed alongside the trees in Christchurch Courtyard for their suitability for soil and weather conditions and production of flowers in spring and summer. Lavender is also excellent for pollinating insects and fragrance. 

Thanks for your feedback

Our team conducted community consultation activities from January to February 2026 and received valuable feedback on the proposed design. The purpose of the consultation was to identify resident priorities and preferences around the species selection of the plants and other greening features planned for these areas. Input from residents, local stakeholders, maintenance staff and East End Homes was considered in parallel and informed the final design. 

All trees planted this season will be carefully selected for their suitability at the site and looked after by Trees for Cities staff for 3 years to encourage their establishment. After this period, the trees will be under the care of environment maintenance teams at East End Homes. 

We hope these trees and greenery will be a welcome improvement to the estate and provide lasting benefits to the environment and the local community.

To view the designs and species, please click on the buttons below. 

If you have any questions, comments or would like to get involved in the planting activities please contact us via email at community@treesforcities.org