As national tree week ends, a council celebrates tree planting with schools and colleges.

Brighton and Hove city council planted an avenue of more than 30 trees on the Surrenden campus in Brighton this week.

The semi mature trees will go along a bridlepath that is currently called Stringer Way and will be young disease-resistant elm trees.

It is believed to be the first elm avenue planted in the city since Victorian times.

Brighton and Hove is home to the national elm collection and is known nationally for the way it manages elm disease. 

The avenue of trees will form a wildlife corridor linking Hollingbury and Burstead woods, the Dorothy Stringer nature reserve woodland, Balfour’s wildlife reserve and Varndean School and Varndean College’s wildlife areas.

The new tree canopy will link up the mature tree line into Withdean and Preston Parks.

“It is inspiring to see schools working so positively together to make space for nature, improve biodiversity and reduce the effects of climate change," said Councillor Hannah Allbrooke, chair of the children, young people and skills committee.

“The Surrenden campus is an important site as it links directly with the South Downs, bringing nature into the city.

"The underplanting will further enrich the biodiversity of the area and the whole project will increase the opportunities for children and young people to be closer to nature."

Cllr Allbrooke added: “As a council we’ve invested £1 million for tree planting through the carbon neutral fund and with the support of fantastic volunteers we’ll continue to seek out further funding opportunities.”

Last year, Balfour Primary School became part of the council’s bid for the first round of funding from the urban tree challenge fund.  12 trees were planted at the school in the spring 12 more will be planted soon.

Dorothy Stringer secondary school successfully applied for the next round and will be planting 24 elms.

Varndean School supported a wider initiative for planting to create shade on the campus as well as a haven for pollinators. This will include wildflower and bulb planting under the trees.