Last chance for landowners and farmers in Harborough district to take part in scheme providing 50,000 free trees

Thousands of free trees are being handed out.

Landowners and farmers are being reminded not to miss out on a scheme providing 50,000 free trees.

Leicestershire County Council has teamed up with the Woodland Trust to offer free tree and hedgerow packs - which are designed to help restore existing woodland.

The plants will also help to replace trees which have been affected by diseases such as ash dieback – which has wiped out thousands of trees in the area.

Council environment spokesman Cllr Blake Pain said: "This is a great scheme which helps towards our ambition to plant 700,000 new trees across Leicestershire – one for each resident.

"As part of our commitment to becoming a net-zero county by 2045, trees have an important role to play in keeping our air clean, helping to prevent flooding and providing valuable habitats for local wildlife.

“I would encourage landowners, farmers and community groups to sign up for this scheme before the deadline on October 31, to ensure that they don’t miss out.”

The initiative comes after 30,000 plants were given away across the county last year.

Each tree pack includes 45 native trees - 15 each of oak, crab apple and hazel. Hedgerow packs are made up of 250 hedgerow shrubs including a mix of hawthorn, hazel, blackthorn, field maple, oaks and dog rose.

Tree packs are available to people who live in Leicestershire with suitable areas of land to plant – including community groups, parish councils and schools, along with landowners and farmers.

Residents can register for their free tree and hedgerow packs, which have been made available in a bid to help the county council plant 700,000 trees – one for every person in Leicestershire. It is part of its commitment to become net-zero by 2045.

The county is one of the least wooded areas in the UK - with around six per cent woodland – well below the national average of 10 per cent.

Email [email protected] or call 0330 333 5303 by October 31 to apply.

Trees can be collected from Beaumanor Hall in Woodhouse in November 2022 or February 2023.