Get dug in with Council free tree schemes

Residents and community groups access free trees and hedgerows to improve the Shropshire environment.

Shropshire Council is proud to launch three partnership schemes to help bring more trees and wildlife to the County. This autumn, residents, landowners and Parish Council can benefit from the largest free tree scheme the county had ever seen. Additional funding has been secured by Shropshire Council from the Tree Council and from the Northern Area Partnership Sustainability Fund to bring an extra 45,000 trees into the Shropshire landscape via three separate tree projects. These are:

• The Hedge Tree Project
• The Northern Shropshire Coppice Creation
• The Shropshire Annual Free Tree Scheme

The Hedge Tree Project is a national initiative from the Tree Council which was established with the help of the northern Shropshire Tree Warden scheme. Five kilometres of hedging can now be distributed to community groups and landowners anywhere in Shropshire. Native hedgerow species are available for free to restore local hedgerows, with trees such as oak and ash. Within this scheme applicants must include these species within the hedgerows and agree to maintain and nurture them through to maturity.

The Northern Shropshire Coppice Creation is a one year project which has been funded by the Northern Area Partnership Sustainability Group. This project aims to work with ten landowners in northern Shropshire who are prepared to each allow the planting of one hectare of land to be developed as sustainably managed woodland for wood fuel production. Landowners accepted onto the scheme will also be eligible to receive training at Walford College and help with the planting of the trees and aftercare.

The Shropshire Annual Free Tree Scheme provides trees to community groups and landowners in the county for planting alongside to or within sight of a public highway or footpath. For trees in the south of the county, please John Blessington on: 01743 252 569.

For all of the free trees schemes, trees are not available for planting onto land which is already important for biodiversity such as wet grassland or species rich grassland all scheme.

Councillor Steven Charmley, Portfolio Holder for Culture and Leisure at Shropshire Council urged local people and groups to help develop their local landscape:

“Shropshire Council is delighted to offer the most extensive free tree scheme the area has seen. It is crucial that we work together to develop campaigns such as these and encourage more people to get involved in local conservation projects. We would particularly like to hear from groups such as Parish Councils who may have a plot of land they can grow as community woodland to provide wood fuel for local residents and at the same time provide an amenity space for quiet recreation, wildlife and education. If you would like more information on the scheme or to apply for free trees, please contact Shaun Burkey, Conservation & Community Officer, Shropshire Council on 01691 624448.”

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