The mayor of Bridport has praised the work of the town's tree planting group, despite some residents' objections.

Councillor Ian Bark wants to highlight the importance of trees and the "vital role they play in the ecosystem that sustains our planet".

Bridport Tree Planting was established in 2019 to support the Friends of the Earth campaign to double tree cover in the UK and has worked closely with Bridport Town Council to deliver this.

The group has a tree nursery at Riverside Gardens and has been very busy during this planting season.

Members have planted more than 90 new saplings at Millennium Green, 75 at Dibden View in the Flaxhayes area on land owned by Magna Housing, 54 saplings at West Bay near the playground, 30 at Bridport Youth and Community Centre, as well as providing 28 saplings and bigger trees to St Catherine's Primary School and 30 to Bridport Community Orchard. More trees will be going in soon at Asker Meadows.

Before the end of the year's planting season at the end of March, a new hedge will be planted in a play area Walditch, 30 new trees are planned for Slades Green, and there will be a big planting in Burton Bradstock.

Cllr Bark said: "That makes a total of nearly 600 trees planted in public spaces this planting season. This is an outstanding achievement and I am sure that, like me, the people of Bridport are extremely grateful to the group for the work they are doing to make our town not only a greener place to live, but one that is contributing towards the mitigation of the impact of climate change and urban pollution.

"That said, I am aware that there are people who do not share this enthusiasm for trees. I have met people who think it's a waste of time and money.

"When talking to members of Bridport Tree Planting recently, I was told by some of the volunteers about meeting folk who don't like trees."

Comments made have included:

• "I've been living here for 40 years and we like it just the way it is and we don't want any trees."

• "We don't want any flowers, we don't want trees, we just want a nicely cut grass area."

Cllr Bark added: "This was in an area of town where some people don't want any benches either - 'would attract the wrong sort of people who would sit there drinking all day' - and they don't want any play equipment because 'it would attract noisy children'.

"Arguments against trees also included, 'spoil the view, roots and leaves block drains, all those twigs on the ground and children throw them at each other'.

"There was no mention at all of the benefits that trees bring, carbon capture, climate change, better biodiversity - so I am thinking we still have an awful lot of education to do to convince people about the positive impacts that trees have."

To find out more about Bridport Tree Planting, visit the group's Facebook page.

Read the mayor's full blog here.

Don't forget to sign up to our newsletter below!

You can submit your own news straight to Bridport Nub News by using the 'Nub It' button on our home page. This can also be done for events on our What's On page and businesses, groups and organisations on our Local Listings page , also by using the 'Nub It' button.

Please like and follow our online newspaper on your favourite social media channel. You can find us @BridportNubNews on Facebook and Twitter.