Pupils from All Saints Primary School help plant trees for Queen's Canopy after mum's long-running Parsonage Lane park campaign

A mum is celebrating after a six-year campaign to replace trees in a park near her home in Bishop's Stortford finally bore fruit.

Amanda Anderson told the Indie she had been chasing the issue after several trees were cut down at the boundary of her road, Glebe Court, which borders Parsonage Lane park.

She said her two sons, Daniel, 10, and Mikey, 9, often popped to the park to play but a lack of trees meant in hot weather there was little shade.

But on Tuesday (Feb 8) East Herts Council invited pupils from nearby All Saints CE Primary School to a tree-planting event as part of the Queen’s Canopy scheme to mark the monarch’s Platinum Jubilee, with 27 trees spread around the park: three each of serviceberries, mountain ash, silver birch, maidenhair, flowering pear and Japanese cherry, plus nine sweetgums.

“It’s been a long time coming,” said Amanda, who added that the council had been very professional in its dealings with her.

“EHC parks person Rowan Perrin has done well to put up with us – me mostly – chasing him regularly about ‘When are our trees coming?'”

Twelve students from All Saints’ school parliament helped council contractors plant the trees.

Parliament chair Harry said: “It’s really important to keep the environment going – with climate change, we need to help.”

His deputy Daniel said: “When it’s sunny there will be shade – and you can climb the trees!” he said.

All Saints headteacher Philip Asher said: “The opportunity to plant new trees in our local park was one we couldn’t miss, not least because most of our children live nearby and use it regularly.

“We have an annual programme of tree planting at school as part of our Forest School, so it's brilliant to be part of this project for our local community.

"The School Parliament have set up recycling bins on the school playground and monitor the solar energy generated at school.

“We recently achieved the Bronze Eco Award and are working on the next award, all thanks to the enthusiasm and hard work of the children in school.”