Councillors are expected to back plans to increase the borough's street tree budget by £55,000 in order to fund the planting of 470 extra trees over the next two years.

Councillors on the regeneration and transport overview and scrutiny committee will be asked to back the proposals at their meeting on 7th September 2005.

The 470 trees will be mainly planted along residential roads and will be sited in locations where street trees historically stood, but have been removed because of disease, decay, vandalism or vehicle damage. The borough currently has around 14,000 street trees.

Cabinet member for regeneration and transport Cllr Guy Senior said: "This big expansion in the tree planting schedule will mean that residents in streets which have lost trees for a variety of reasons, will see replacements being planted much sooner.

"These highway trees are important environmental habitats and certainly improve the appearance of a neighbourhood. This will certainly be money well spent and I'm sure will prove popular with local people.

Highways officials will also be investigating the possibility of obtaining sponsorship from
businesses, local organisations, amenity groups and private individuals to pay for the planting of additional trees.

The average cost of planting a street tree is around £115, and councillors hope that if enough of these groups are willing to pay this relatively modest sum, then an additional 200 trees could be planted every year.