The Reader: More urban forests could save the NHS millions each year

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Lifegiving: growing trees can reduce hospital bills
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2 August 2018
WEST END FINAL

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We WELCOME the figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) highlighting the significant health benefits of trees [“How trees and plans help save UK £1 billion a year on health”, July 30].

There is a lot of developing science showing how the environment could improve our lives, and recognising the direct health benefits of trees is a positive step in our understanding of this area. Put simply, more trees could lead to fewer visits to hospital.

Much of our knowledge about the health benefits from trees actually comes from outside the UK, so it is important that we catch up with this research. This is the sort of evidence that supports the new National Tree Champion, Sir William Worsley, in his role delivering Conservative Party manifesto pledges (one million more trees in towns and cities and improved protection for urban trees).

Research underlines the case for better tree protection and increased planting in our cities — where air quality is poor.

Planting new trees and protecting existing ones should be seen as a key policy priority for government at all levels. Trees can contribute to the economy in many ways — health savings are just one, but they make it difficult not to justify investment in the future of urban forestry.
Joe Coles
Woodland Trust

EDITOR'S REPLY

Dear Joe

I’m STILL baffled why this argument hasn’t won out yet. Sadiq Khan promised two million new trees for London when he became Mayor then cancelled the pledge. And up in Sheffield they are being cut down.

Yet the value of trees is increasingly obvious. From cleaning the air and absorbing heat to carbon storage, they have environmental benefits. There is also an aesthetic and social value which can be seen in house prices and pride in an area.

It is no accident that Holland Park Avenue, lined with trees, is one of London’s most expensive streets.

I agree that it should be policy and there is a real opportunity right now in London for us to become the city of trees.

As car use falls, parking permits are restricted and car-sharing becomes more popular, we can reclaim our streets little by little and build pavements out into what once was parking or driving space. This would create new locations for urban trees, further away from buildings. It would also be signal a deep-rooted investment in the environment and public health. Shall we get planting?

Joy Lo Dico, Executive Editor, Projects

Build homes but make them affordable and community-led

We wholeheartedlY agree with your leader [“Targets are just the start to get London building”, July 30]. Londoners desperately need more homes, and fast.

But what our city requires most is homes Londoners can afford, and communities which thrive. Our 15 London members will build at least 12,000 affordable homes in the capital by 2022 — and with more money and access to land, could build even more. Some members have already modelled and planned how they can increase their building programme over that.

Our local expertise means we build on “hard to tackle” sites which deter private developers. We also provide additional services which help create communities — in Fulham we are building affordable homes with a new base for a local charity supporting disabled people.

More support for housing associations, especially community-based ones, is crucial if we are to get beyond setting targets to delivering the homes Londoners need.
Matt Campion
CEO, Shepherds Bush Housing Group

Imran is just best of a bad bunch

I WAS surprised at Muddassar Ahmed’s comments [“Many British Pakistanis will welcome Imran Khan’s victory”, July 27].

The reality is that most Pakistanis, including those living in Britain, have been forced to accept Mr Khan, the leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), as the best of a bad bunch.

Former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif became mired in allegations of corruption, following the Panama Papers revelations. The alternative, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, was always at a disadvantage because of his inexperience and his relation to former President Asif Ali Zardari, who received vast kickbacks during the premiership of his wife Benazir Bhutto, herself assassinated after a political rally in Rawalpindi in 2007.

Mr Khan’s background is no less colourful, if only for different reasons.
Salim Bhimji

Pros and cons of a second referendum

John McFarlane treads the Remainer path but curiously does not provide any cogent argument on why we should stay in the EU [“Mrs May should call a referendum”, The Reader, July 31]. It can be argued, similarly, that Remainers were uninformed and, besides voting for the status quo, had no idea or preferred to be oblivious to the risks that lay ahead by staying in the EU. Another referendum would be a disaster. The die is cast. This fog of self-doubt needs to lift.
David Caillard

I wholeheartedly concur with John McFarlane. Better still, senior Conservatives should agree to announce a moratorium on the entire process for, say, five years. If we use the time wisely we can sort out real issues and forget crazy ones.
Robert Boston

Working together against knife crime

We welcome the Evening Standard’s knife crime investigation, which calls for a truly London-wide approach, inspired by what has worked elsewhere in the UK. Fresh ideas are needed. Areas of high crime do not respect bureaucratic boundaries. I am proud to announce we have established a network of six London boroughs (Westminster City Council, ourselves, Hammersmith and Fulham, Ealing, Brent and Harrow) who are working to tackle knife and violent crime.

My council is working hard with the Metropolitan Police, local families, businesses and communities to find new ways of protecting people from knife and drug crime. These include working with youth groups who use former gang members to teach “at risk” young people the heartbreaking consequences of knife crime.
Elizabeth Campbell
Leader, Kensington and Chelsea council

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