Ambitious plans to plant 700,000 trees in Leicestershire – one for every person in the county – have received a major boost after Leicestershire County Council was awarded £445,000 in grant funding.
Picture credit: Leicestershire County Council
The grant, which has come from the Forestry Commission’s Local Authority Treescapes fund, will be used to support and deliver a number of tree planting initiatives across the county – including new tiny forests.
The application for the funding was made by Leicestershire County Council on behalf of a partnership of authorities, including Harborough District Council, Melton Borough Council, Charnwood Brough Council and Mountsorrel Parish Council, all of which will also be working with environmental charity Earthwatch UK to create new tiny forests within their districts.
The money will also be used to fund the planting of trees at several other sites across the county, including replacement trees on verges and in parks and green spaces.
Councillor Blake Pain, cabinet member for the environment and the green agenda, said: “Leicestershire’s trees and woodlands can provide multiple benefits that improve the quality of life for our citizens and communities.
“We are now heading for the half-a-million milestone in our ambition to help plant a tree for every residents. This new grant funding will help deliver our ambitious objectives and allow us to work in partnership with other organisations on schemes which benefit both the environment and the surrounding communities.”
More information on the council’s tree ambitions and an interactive map showing the number of trees planted is available at www.leicestershire.gov.uk/trees
