Reading is continuing to expand its tree cover, with hundreds of new trees planted over the past year and more expected through community-backed initiatives.

A total of 421 trees were planted on Reading Borough Council-owned land during the last year. Of those, 332 were new additions, while 89 replaced trees that had died or been felled.

Increasing tree cover is one of the priorities set out in Reading Borough Council’s corporate plan, and the latest figures show the authority has exceeded its target.

The council aimed to have 14,500 trees on council-owned land by the end of the 2023/24 financial year. Instead, the total reached 15,198 by the end of March – 698 more than its goal.

Residents can also support efforts to grow Reading’s urban forest through Ethical Reading’s ‘Trees for Reading’ initiative.

The social enterprise allows people and organisations to sponsor the planting of trees through donations, with the projected lifetime cost of planting and maintaining a single tree estimated at around £395.

Since the scheme launched, 118 trees have been planted with support from donors. Organisations backing the initiative include law firm BDB Pitmans and Thames Lido, which became the project’s first corporate sponsor.

Details of the trees planted through the scheme, along with information on how to get involved, are available on Ethical Reading’s website.

The council’s latest tree planting figures are included in its 2023/24 corporate plan key performance indicators, which were presented to the policy committee at its meeting on Monday, July 8.