The Environment Agency is seeking local knowledge from residents in York on where new trees should be planted as part of the city’s flood defence scheme.

When flood defences are being developed, large amounts of space are often needed to build embankments or move heavy machinery around, sometimes in dense urban areas.

This means some trees need to be removed, in certain situations, to enable flood defence work to proceed.

For every tree removed, five will be replanted in York, with the programme expected to plant a total of 275 trees across the city this autumn.

The Environment Agency and City of York Council have both set goals to become carbon neutral by 2030.

In partnership with the council, the Environment Agency has identified the importance of increasing tree cover in the city as a way of contributing to this goal.

Julia James, Tree Planting Project Manager at the Environment Agency said: “We’re calling on York residents to help identify locations across the city where they’d like to see trees planted, which will help us shape our tree planting ambitions.

“We recognise the value of trees in cities and the important contribution they make to ecosystems and biodiversity in urban areas. Trees perform a variety of environmental functions such as absorbing carbon dioxide and rainwater, protecting soils and providing shade. They also make places more attractive and are a key feature in the character of an area, contributing to individual and community wellbeing.”