A tree planting group has completed a £44,000 project to bring more greenery to Witham.

A two-year joint initiative between the Witham Tree Group, the town council and Braintree Council has seen 160 trees planted around the town.

Tree Group chairman Barry Fleet said: “The Tree Group is a very young group, it’s only been going two or three years.

“When we were up and running I discovered there was this pot of money that we could access.

“We spent about a year and a half doing this very detailed survey of Witham. I now know the town a lot better than I used to.”

Mr Fleet said the money came from housing developers who wanted to build near Spring Lodge.

When agreeing a planning application the council can ask for additional funds for schools, roads or the environment and Mr Fleet said this money was set aside specifically for that purpose.

He said: “It needed to be used by 2019 so I rang up the person holding the purse strings and we did a very detailed survey.

“Based on our recommendations about 160 trees have been planted.

“We have got some grand and very elderly trees in Witham but we are all going to die at some point because we all get old.

“A lot of people are certainly noticing all of these new trees all of a sudden.”

The trees include Elder, Hornbeam, English Oak and Silver Birch and have been planted with a cage around them to protect them while they develop.

“There were areas, particularly on the housing estates, that were crying out for tree planting,” he said.

“The public play areas all need trees around them to protect children from the effects of hot summers so it’s much more than environmental.

“It’s more fundamental than that.”

The trees were planted between December and March over the last two years in various areas including the Bramble Road esate, Powers Hall and Pelly Avenue.

The final 96 were planted in Elderberry Gardens last week.