Council Distributes 30,400 Trees for Planting Initiative

A local authority has distributed 30,400 trees as part of an initiative to promote increased tree planting throughout Leicestershire. Groups and individuals collected the trees on Wednesday at Beaumanor Hall, located near Loughborough. This tree distribution program, managed by Leicestershire County Council in collaboration with the Woodland Trust, contributes to the council’s broader goal of planting 700,000 trees, which equates to one tree for each resident of Leicestershire. Councillor Blake Pain stated that participants were “playing a crucial part in helping to make Leicestershire a cleaner, greener place to live, work and visit.” The council indicated that the complimentary tree and hedgerow packs were intended to assist in “renew and restore existing woodland and vegetation” and to replace trees impacted by diseases like ash dieback. According to the Woodland Trust, these packs received funding from Lloyds Banking Group and Leicestershire County Council. Every tree pack contains 50 native tree saplings, comprising a variety of oak, wild cherry, crab apple, field maple, and hazel. The hedgerow packs consist of 250 native trees and shrubs, featuring a blend of hawthorn, hazel, field maple, and oaks, intended for planting at consistent intervals along a hedgerow. The council stated that each hedgerow pack provides sufficient plants to establish a 50-meter-long hedge, with a density of five plants per meter. The packs were made available to all Leicestershire residents possessing appropriate land for planting, encompassing community groups, parish councils, schools, landowners, and farmers. The council expressed its aspiration to distribute over 50,000 trees through this and other related schemes before the year concludes.