A popular scheme which offers free trees and hedges to landowners and farmers in a bid to encourage more planting across Leicestershire is now open for applications.

Leicestershire County Council has once again teamed up with the Woodland Trust to offer the free tree and hedgerow packs, which are designed to help renew and restore existing woodland and vegetation, as well as replacing trees which have been affected by diseases such as ash dieback.

Each free tree pack includes 50 native trees – a mix of oak, wild cherry, crab apple, field maple and hazel, as well as tree guards and stakes.

The hedgerow packs are made up of 250 native trees and shrubs, including a mix of hawthorn, hazel, field maple and oaks to plant at regular intervals along the hedgerow. Each hedgerow pack is enough to create a 50m-long hedge at five plants per metre.

For larger areas of land, the scheme will also help advise and support the creation of new areas of woodland planting over half a hectare through the MOREwoods scheme.

The tree packs are being made available to anyone who lives in Leicestershire with suitable areas of land to plant – including community groups, parish councils and schools, as well as landowners and farmers. Eligible applicants are now being invited to register for their free tree and hedgerow packs, in a bid to help the county council reach its target of helping to plant 700,000 trees – one for every person in Leicestershire.

Last year, the county council gave away around 50,000 trees from this and other similar schemes – and is hoping this year's scheme will prove even more successful.

Councillor Blake Pain, cabinet member for the environment and the green agenda, 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.

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"Trees play a vital role in keeping our air clean, helping to prevent flooding and providing valuable habitats for local wildlife.

"The free trees scheme is always hugely popular with groups, schools and other landowners, which shows that the people of Leicestershire share our commitment to making the county a greener place to live and work. I would encourage anyone with a suitable area of land to apply to become part of this great scheme."

Anyone who would like to apply for a free tree or hedgerow pack is asked to register by emailing [email protected] with your name, email address, phone number and planting location (postcode or grid reference).

The closing date for applications is Tuesday 31 October. Successful applicants will be able to collect their trees from the Beaumanor Hall in Woodhouse on Monday 4 December 2023 or Wednesday 21 February 2024.