'Expensive but necessary': Non-native trees in Newport cemetery to be replaced with hedgerow after wildlife audit
Several evergreen trees are to be felled at a cemetery in Newport to make way for a more environmentally-friendly hedgerow.
Newport Town Council is planning to replace the leylandii at the town's general cemetery with a native hedgerow and memorial trees, following recommendations from a biodiversity audit carried out by the Shropshire Wildlife Trust.
A spokesperson for the town council said: "Leylandii are non-native, provide little benefit to wildlife, block light, damage soil quality, and offer poor nesting conditions for birds.
"A native hedgerow will support bees, butterflies, and birds, alongside memorial trees for families to create living tributes."
The town council said the changes will also create a "lighter, more open cemetery" and space for around 50 new burial plots.
Mayor of Newport Councillor Thomas Janke said it was "an expensive but necessary project", adding: "I am proud to serve on a council that takes such pride in our cemetery.
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