Marlborough Highways is delighted to announce that it has reached its target of planting 5,000 new street trees in the London Borough of Hackney. The initiative is one of the largest schemes of its type in the country and forms part of Hackney Council’s ongoing commitment to making the north London borough a greener and cleaner place to live and work. The project also included 1,000 new trees and 30,000 saplings in parks and green spaces across Hackney, helping to create more attractive urban environments, while improving air-quality.

In line with Hackney Council’s environmental strategy of reaching Net Zero emissions by 2040, planners set the ambitious goal of planting thousands of trees throughout the borough in just two years. As Hackney Council’s principal highways contractor, Marlborough worked with the council team in partnership with the distinguished tree suppliers Barcham, to project manage the programme, sourcing more than 80 varieties of native and non-native species.

The substantial programme of works required a complex schedule, involving storage, transportation, ground preparation and planting, with specialist botanical knowledge vital to ensuring that the right trees were chosen for the right settings. At the peak of the scheme, Marlborough was planting up to 200 trees per week, with individual trees typically ranging from three to five metres in height. The initiative sees street tree canopy coverage in the London Borough of Hackney increase from 20% to 30%, and it is helping to reduce the risk of flooding through better street drainage. Marlborough is now tasked with the maintenance and upkeep of the trees, with a specialist team monitoring their development in the months ahead.

Matthew Revell, Managing Director of Marlborough Highways said, “We are proud to have managed such an important scheme in partnership with our friends at Hackney Council and at Barcham Trees. As well as providing shelter and shade, and improving the appearance of the city landscape, the new trees are helping to reduce pollution and are encouraging local people to reconnect with nature. I am looking forward to seeing the streets of Hackney blossom as the trees grow and mature.”