I welcome the sprucing up of the area of scrubland just as you come over the Benfleet bridge on to Canvey, with six new trees and a garden (April 25).

However, I find it an odd decision by Castle Point Council.

It has recently been decided by the council to stop funding tree planting through the local neighbourhood forums due to ongoing costs such as watering and pruning.

I find this decision strange as there has been a tree planting programme for the past three years on Canvey, suggested by residents at neighbourhood forums, to improve the environment.

All of this has been stopped now, with no promise of being reintroduced.

Why is it only necessary to plant trees because we have the Olympic biking event coming to Hadleigh for a few weeks? Surely it’s more important to improve the local environment for our residents to enjoy.

In this jubilee year, the Government has asked for three million trees to be planted around the country.

Why is it Castle Point and Essex County Council are against tree planting?

If the correct trees are planted at the correct time there should be no problems with ongoing costs.

Won’t there be ongoing costs with the new trees at the entrance to Canvey?

How sad money can be found for this project, because there is an Olympic event coming to the area, but money for tree planting for residents, who pay their council tax, cannot be found.

Cllr John Anderson
Canvey Independent Party
Borough,and town councillor
Church Parade
Canvey