A tree to be planted for every person in county
LARGE-SCALE PLAN WILL TREBLE NUMBER MANAGED BY COUNCIL
AN ambitious plan to make Leicestershire greener will see the planting of 700,000 trees – one for every resident in the county.
The move will take the numbers of Leicestershire County Council-managed trees to more than a million, boosting biodiversity and supporting a pledge to become carbon neutral by 2030.
Leicestershire is one of the least wooded areas of the country, with around 6 per cent of the county under woodland – below the national average of 10 per cent.
Currently, the council says that it manages around 321,000 trees but diseases such as ash dieback are threatening our woodlands.
The authority’s strategy and action plan, adopted in May last year, has seen the number of trees across the county improving.
The council has said the National Forest has increased forest cover in the north west of the county to 21 per cent, and is something the council hopes to replicate elsewhere in towns, villages, farms, parks and the design of new housing and employment developments.
A spokesperson for the council has said that trees and woodlands play an important role in cleaning up the environment, providing clean air, improving soil quality and reducing flooding.
Not only will the environment benefit, but the council says that research shows that a walk among trees can improve mental wellbeing and reduce levels of stress.
Council leader Nick Rushton said: “Trees and woodlands enhance our quality of life: they support wildlife, help combat climate change and add beauty to our towns, villages and countryside. But they face unprecedented challenges.
“We want to protect and enhance Leicestershire’s trees and woodlands so that they will continue to benefit future generations.”
Councillor Blake Pain said: “The need for increased tree cover, both globally and locally, is well documented as a major action to mitigate climate change and we are determined to take action now to ensure future generations can enjoy the wide-ranging benefits brought by trees and woodlands.”
Applications for funding have been sent by the council to the Forestry Commission to help develop tree-planting projects and enable sustainable woodland management.
The council currently provides a free tree scheme for farmers and landowners, working closely with the Woodland Trust to provide tree packs for planting projects.