A thousand street trees have now been planted in Hackney since 2018 as part of the council's response to the Climate Emergency.

The 1,000th new street tree was planted in Shaklewell Row in Dalston, making history as part of the single largest investment in trees in the borough.

Mayor of Hackney, Phil Glanville, who helped plant it, said: "Street trees bring incredible beauty to the borough, with often hidden benefits to our well being and I can’t wait to see the trees on Shacklewell Row bloom in spring, and look forward to seeing thousands more new trees planted across the borough by next year."

The council promises to plant 5,000 more street trees in Hackney by 2022, along with 30,000 saplings and 1,000 more trees in parks and green spaces.

The plans form part of Town Hall's commitment to reaching net zero emissions by 2040 and will see on-street canopy cover increase from 20 per cent to 30pc over the next two years, filtering polluted air and locking-in carbon emissions.

It is hoped trees will also aid mental health, reduce extreme temperatures in the summer and help mitigate local flooding.

Ham & High: The five species planted include Betula Nigra, Prunus Accolade, Sorbus Torminalis, Acer Rubrum Bowhall and Prunus x Hillieri Spire, a colourful mixture of native and non-native trees, ensuring that trees are appropriate for their setting, and resilient to pests and the changing climate.The five species planted include Betula Nigra, Prunus Accolade, Sorbus Torminalis, Acer Rubrum Bowhall and Prunus x Hillieri Spire, a colourful mixture of native and non-native trees, ensuring that trees are appropriate for their setting, and resilient to pests and the changing climate. (Image: Hackney council)