Some 50,000 free trees available for Leicestershire residents

A scheme which offers free trees to landowners and farmers in a bid to boost numbers across the county is open for applications.

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.

It 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 – 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.

Council environment spokesman Cllr Blake Pain said: "We’re delighted to be working with the Woodland Trust again this year, to provide free trees and hedgerows to farmers and landowners across Leicestershire.

"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.

“Last year, we gave away 30,000 trees through this and the other schemes we offer – and we are hoping that this year, we can go even further by giving away 50,000.”

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

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