Around 270 trees could be planted on grass verges by roads in York under council plans to plant thousands more in the coming years.
York Council is set to press ahead with planting about 1,570 trees to meet its goal of increasing the city’s total by 4,000 by 2028.
Council environment spokesperson Labour’s Cllr Jenny Kent said new trees would help York adapt to climate change as she called on residents to engage with upcoming consultations on possible sites.
Liberal Democrat Cllr Andrew Waller said the approach to planting should be flexible after some had blocked street lights and left footpaths covered in leaves in his Westfield ward.
It follows the decision on Tuesday, October 15 to press ahead with the York Green Streets programme.
A council meeting on the scheme heard around 2,500 trees were planted in the year up to March 2024 across 13 sites, including 10 schools.
Officials now aim to plant 1,570 as part of efforts to boost the tree canopy cover from 10.8 per cent in 2022 to 13 per cent by 2050, mainly in urban areas, subject to funding.
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Tuesday’s decision session heard a further 64 sites deemed technically feasible for planting had been found across York up to March 2025.
Officials are set to find out how much it would cost contractors to plant on the possible sites and the most feasible will then be subject to public consultations.
The meeting heard that the sites they were looking at on verges by roads would be more complex and expensive for planting.
Cllr Waller, who spoke at the meeting, said consultations were needed so that the right trees end up in the right place.
The Westfield ward councillor said: “From my own experience, there’s a large London Plane on a verge near my house that’s dropped enough leaves to fill three green bins that have had to be cleared from the footpath.
“There needs to be a flexible approach and there needs to be consideration of street lights as trees can make it darker for cyclists and on footpaths.”
Environment spokesperson Cllr Kent said they would work with local councillors and residents to resolve any potential issues when the new trees are planted.
The executive member said: “This tree planting is such an important part of our climate adaption plans, more trees is a key part of how we will adapt to wetter weather and extremes in heat and cold.
“My message to people is please engage with this positively if you’re asked to because we need these trees and we’ll need some of them in difficult places where people live.”
Planting was approved on land to the south west of Village Street, Rawcliffe and north of The Fox Inn, Holgate.
The trees are set to be planted between October and March.
They are being paid for by a £39,000 grant from a fund set up to mark the coronation of King Charles III.
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