Green makeover for Eastbourne Railway Station

The sub-group for Friends of the Earth – Tree Friends – has been working with Southern Rail on the Greening Eastbourne Station project for more than two years now.

Jane Wilde, one of the co-ordinators of the project, said, “It has taken 20 months to jump through the hoops of paperwork, staff secondment and more recently the Covid regulations. However, at last we have been able to get planting – refreshing and replanting existing planters.

“The wonderful Southern Rail staff have been supportive and cooperative, helping out with watering, supplying plants and recently repainting the three planters between the platforms.

“We will be planting these up once funding has come through. We have funded two new planters, made for us by a local carpenter, which are now in place with some initial planting in place.

“We are still waiting for the funding from Southern Rail so that we can buy in a range of plants that will look stunning for the coming winter season and beyond.

“The plants so far have been generously donated by the Tree Friends from their own gardens, from station staff, and by Chalk Farm plant nursery in Willingdon. In the last nine months the Eastbourne Eco Action Network’s Carbon Capture group have become valued partners in the project.

“There are plans for more planters including an edible herb planter, and planters to enhance the seating that is due to be installed in the station in the next year.”

Tree Friends have also been working with Eastbourne Eco Action Network by increasing the number of trees planted in and around the town.

Jane Wilde said, “We had been working with the council to try and identify areas for planting trees and to meet our target of 100,000 more trees to help meet Eastbourne’s Carbon Neutral 2030 target.”

The groups secured an allotment spot on Churchdale Road for the Community Tree Nurseries project.