We have committed to tree planting as part of the corporate plan. Our officers follow the principle of planting the right tree in the right place for the right reasons.

We identify sites for new trees through:

  • requests from residents
  • cyclical inspections
  • an individual site’s management plan
  • replacement of failed trees from planting schemes from the past two seasons
  • friends groups or other partners that identifying suitable areas in:
    • parks
    • open spaces or
    • highway areas managed by the Council

Our tree officers would work closely with local groups to support any scheme that is viable.

Make a request for a tree to be planted

If you want to request a new tree to be planted in Sutton, you can call us on 020 8770 5000.

You need to do this before 1 September each year. This is to ensure that we can order enough stock.

Requests after 1 September are added to the list for the following year.

Young trees will be watered for at least two seasons after planting. How often depends on the weather conditions and any restrictions that apply, such as hosepipe bans.

How tree planting is funded

The Council does not have a dedicated budget for tree planting and the main sources are:

  • Local committees
  • Mayor for London grants 
  • Woodland Trust community support
  • Private sponsorship
  • Development projects, with possible impacts from Biodiversity Accounting
  • Funding from Developments - Community Infrastructure Levy (Cil) or Section 106 funding

Sponsor or donate Trees

If you’d like to sponsor or donate a tree, you can call us on 020 8770 5000.

Before we considers accepting sponsorship of a tree from a member of the public, our tree officers will:

  • arrange a site meeting if requested at the proposed planting site
  • agree the final position and species, ensuring they are suitable for the location
  • when site and species have been agreed, the person sponsoring the tree will be asked for payment of the appropriate amount
  • the tree will then be ordered and will be purchased
  • the tree will be planted with all other highways and parks trees at the appropriate time of year (November to February)