New Trees for Padstow House and Bethlehem House
Trees For Cities is working with Tower Hamlets Council to plant new trees, shrubs and hedgerow around Padstow House and Bethlehem House. The aim is to bring more trees and greenery to the estate, making it a cooler, healthier place to live, helping nature thrive and creating spaces that everyone can enjoy.
Thank you volunteers!
As part of the project, we were pleased to hold a Community Tree Planting Day at Bethlehem and Padstow House on Sunday 2nd November 2025. We had autumn sunshine and a wonderful turnout of 65 volunteers!
Together we dug deep and planted 12 beautiful trees and planted new hedgerow, fresh shrubs, and bulbs to bloom in the spring. It was fantastic to see so many people from the local community coming together to enjoy and care for the nature around them. It's your time, energy, and grubby gloves that make these days possible and we couldn't have done it without you!
Thanks for your feedback
Our team conducted community consultation activities in August and September 2025 and received valuable feedback on the proposed design. The purpose of the consultation was to identify resident priorities and preferences around the species selection of the plants, wildlife habitat creation, and other greening features planned for these areas. Input from residents, local stakeholders, and council staff/maintenance teams was considered in parallel and have informed amendments to the design.
We hope these trees and plants will be a welcome improvement to the estate and provide lasting benefits to the environment and the local community.
To view the updated design and species, please click on the buttons below.
Why are we planting here?
We are planting trees to introduce new species, provide more seasonal colour, improve biodiversity, and help mitigate pollution.
The plans include up to 12 standard trees (young trees 1-3 metres tall), which will be arranged around Padstow House. We are planting Amelanchier trees, also known as Serviceberry that have a delicate blossom in the spring and fruit in the Autumn. We will also be planting an evergreen Strawberry tree which produces clusters of beautiful delicate flowers which are attractive to pollinators and produce red fruits which resemble strawberries as well as a Tulip tree - these produce interesting flowers which resemble tulips (pictured).
In the grassy area between Bethlehem House and Limehouse Causeway, a hedgerow made up of a mix of species will be planted. The aim is to provide additional protection and help reduce pollution from the street. In time, it will also provide a rich habitat for small wildlife.