Portsmouth City Council funding supports greening projects

 

Two city areas have been transformed into new Green and Clean community spaces to improve greening, air quality and health for residents with funding from Portsmouth City Council’s CIL Neighbourhood Fund and Greening the City Fund. The urban areas of Southampton Road in Cosham and Church Street in Buckland have been planted with trees, shrubs and plants to help combat air and noise pollution, offsetting some of the carbon emissions and lower ambient temperatures that would otherwise contribute to climate change.

The Southampton Road total project cost was £30,000, £15,000 from the Cosham CIL Neighbourhood Fund and Greening the City Fund. The Church Street total project cost was £20,836, with £10,418 secured from the Charles Dickens CIL Neighbourhood Fund and the Greening the City Fund.

In Southampton Road, 74 standard trees, including flowering Cherry trees, Rowan and Silver Birches, have been planted alongside a 419m area of new flowering borders. In Church Street, a 2,480m2 wildflower meadow has been sown alongside 1453 native hedging, five orchard trees, 50 hydrangeas and 28 flowering climbing plants.

The trees planted in these areas will be part of the Queen’s Green Canopy (QGC) tree planting initiative to mark Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee. These trees will be recorded on the QGC Map, a digital record of the Jubilee tree planting projects across the United Kingdom.

Cllr Darren Sanders, Cabinet Member for Housing and Preventing Homelessness said:

“We know these vital arteries for keeping our city moving create air pollution. Planting trees here – as with other crucial areas such as Eastern Road – helps cut that, making residents breathe more easily. I am also delighted that they will help the city mark the Platinum Jubilee. “

Studies have shown that green infrastructure supports health and wellbeing through promoting positive mental health states, providing a context and motivation for physical activity and recreation, and allowing people to experience nature. Living in areas with grass and trees has been linked to a lower risk of various health conditions such as high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease.

The CIL Neighbourhood Fund comes from the Community Infrastructure Levy fund (CIL), allowing local authorities to raise funds from developers undertaking new building projects in their area.

For more information, visit portsmouth.gov.uk/CIL or email CIL@portsmouthcc.gov.uk.