Posted on by Pax Barnard

CPRE Plant Your Postcode August 2026



Plant Your Postcode is our street tree planting initiative in Brighton & Hove, working to increase and maintain tree canopy cover in the city. It has been a busy year so far with new campaigns launched, trees planted and our elm vaccination campaign well underway.

All the progress we have made would not be possible without the passion and dedication of supporters. Thank you for helping us to increase Brighton’s tree cover and bring much-needed trees to our city streets. Greener streets are healthier streets that benefit us all.

Jen Eneke, Plant Your Postcode Manager
Brighton & Hove is home to the National Elm Collection, but every year we are losing more of our beautiful trees to elm disease.  However, there is hope in the form of vaccine Dutch Trig.  Last year the council successfully used the vaccine to treat more than 1,000 elms. This year it has vaccinated 1,800 trees.

But the council does not have the funds to treat every tree. That is why we are supporting community groups to raise money to vaccinate their own street trees. In May, we helped Pembroke Crescent residents vaccinate their elms – and we want to help more communities in the same way.

If you have elm trees on your street and would like to find out more about vaccinating them, email info@cpresussex.org.uk.
This year got off to a great start with new trees planted throughout the spring. A Turkish hazel was planted in Compton Road, joining another planted back in 2022. A hornbeam was planted in Bavant Road – its first street tree (pictured above) – and gingko and lime trees were planted in Florence Road (below) to replace old elm stumps.

Following their success, Bavant Road and Florence Road residents are already fundraising for their next trees. Pembroke Crescent residents are also fundraising for new trees following their vaccination campaign earlier this year.
As well as supporting ongoing planting schemes, we have also helped to set up two new campaigns this year.

South Portslade currently has a tree canopy cover of only 8.4% – significantly less than many other wards in the city. This has a knock-on impact on residents’ health and wellbeing, as well as air quality. Working with volunteers and the council, we have identified nine potential tree planting sites on Boundary Road and Franklin Road. Early work is also underway to try to identify new planting sites in Vale Park. However, planting each tree costs an estimated £3,000. To help cover the cost, we have set up a fundraising page and would love your support. You can donate to the South Portslade campaign here.

We are also supporting Jesmond Road residents with their bid to replace all the trees that have been lost to elm disease in recent years. The group is initially raising money for four trees and considering two additional locations. Donate to the Jesmond Road campaign here.

Take care of your street trees this summer. Newly planted and young trees are particularly vulnerable to drought. If you have young trees on your street or local park, why not take a bottle of water out with you to help them survive the hot weather. Trees keep us cool, they make the air we breathe cleaner and help to prevent flooding. But we need to help them too!

Do you want to plant new trees on your road? We would love to hear from you! The first step is to get in touch with Jen. She can help you assess viable planting sites, give advice, set up a donation page and help with anything else you need. Email info@cpresussex.org.uk today!