Council gives away 30,400 trees in planting scheme

A council has handed out 30,400 trees in an attempt to encourage more tree planting across Leicestershire.

The trees were picked up by groups and individuals at Beaumanor Hall, near Loughborough, on Wednesday.

The tree giveaway scheme, run by Leicestershire County Council in partnership with the Woodland Trust, is part of the council's attempt to plant 700,000 trees – one for every person in Leicestershire.

Councillor Blake Pain said those who took part were "playing a crucial part in helping to make Leicestershire a cleaner, greener place to live, work and visit."

The authority said the free tree and hedgerow packs were designed to help "renew and restore existing woodland and vegetation", as well as replacing trees which had been affected by diseases such as ash dieback.

The Woodland Trust said these packs were funded by Lloyds Banking Group and Leicestershire County Council.

Each tree pack includes 50 native tree saplings – a mix of oak, wild cherry, crab apple, field maple and hazel.

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, said the council.

Anyone living in Leicestershire with suitable areas of land to plant were offered the packs, including community groups, parish councils and schools, as well as landowners and farmers.

The council said it hoped to give away more than 50,000 trees from this scheme and others by the end of the year.

Follow BBC Leicester on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected] or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210.