Funding Available For Tree Planting In Chichester District as National Tree Week Begins

Chichester District Council is reminding landowners that funding is available to support tree planting projects across the Chichester District as part of its ‘Tree Chichester District’ initiative.

The reminder comes in the run up to National Tree Week, which runs from 23 November to 1 December, marking the start of the tree planting season.

Through the council’s ‘Targeted Tree Scheme’, people can access funding to help plant trees, hedgerows, small-wooded areas (copses) and orchards in areas of the district where planting could increase links between habitats and help the local environment adapt to the changing climate.

Funding is also available to support district landowners who would like to plant trees on farmland. The ‘Trees on Farms Scheme’ aims to support tree planting on farmland, which can benefit livestock and crops, while also boosting biodiversity.

People can find more information about both of these schemes online or by emailing the council’s Tree Project Officer: treescheme@chichester.gov.uk

“We’re very lucky to be blessed with a large amount of woodland in our district, however quite a big proportion of this is currently fragmented,” explains Councillor Jonathan Brown, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Environmental Strategy at Chichester District Council.

“Our targeted scheme seeks to better connect our woodland areas through the planting of new trees and hedgerows that will allow different species to move and migrate for food and to breed.

“As part of the scheme, we have created an interactive map which outlines the areas of the district that have been marked as ‘priority areas’ — these are areas that we have identified where new trees and hedgerows will make a real difference in terms of connecting woodland habitats, providing wildlife corridors for a number of different species."

The map is a quick and easy way for people to check whether their land falls within one of these priority areas.

Visit: www.chichester.gov.uk/treescheme, and if you are eligible, we’d encourage you to contact our Tree Project Officer by emailing: treescheme@chichester.gov.uk.