Council’s free trees give away as plans unveiled to create fifth new woodland in Lincolnshire

This is the fifth new site in Lincolnshire Forestry England has bought since 2024, bringing the total area of new woodland to be created in the county to 965 hectares — or 3.7 square miles.

It says Lincolnshire is currently the least wooded area within the East Midlands, with woodland covering just four per cent of land area, compared to a national average of 13 per cent. The new woodland will be an important step towards increasing tree cover and providing new green spaces for people and wildlife.

Forestry England will plant a mix of different tree species, and once established, the woodland will be open for people to explore and enjoy, while acting as a vital habitat for wildlife. In time, it will also provide a sustainable supply of UK timber, helping to support a greener economy.

Paddy Harrop, Forest Management Director at Forestry England, said: “This is another exciting step in our work to create beautiful and resilient woodlands across Lincolnshire. The new woodland is on the edge of the Lincolnshire Wolds, which already offer fantastic habitat for wildlife and ample green space to help people connect with nature. However, there is currently a significant lack of woodlands within this part of England.

“The new site near Hagworthingham will bring lasting benefits for local people, nature, and the wider environment, helping to absorb carbon and, in time, produce sustainable timber.”

The new woodland forms part of Forestry England’s wider woodland creation work, supported by the government’s Nature for Climate Fund Programme, which aims to increase tree planting across the UK.

As with other new sites managed by Forestry England, the new woodland will be created using a rich mix of tree species, open spaces, and connecting habitats that help wildlife move and thrive across the landscape. Forestry England says tree species chosen will be backed by thorough research, guided by their priority list for future planting published earlier this month.

Forestry England will share early design proposals for the new woodland in spring 2026 and invite local people to share their views before planting begins.

More information is available on the Forestry England website: https://www.forestryengland.uk/woodland-creation-hagworthingham

The news comes as Lincolnshire County Council announces it is also handing out free packs of 100 trees and hedging plants to help boost tree and hedge numbers in Lincolnshire.

At the events on Tuesday (November 25) at Boothby and Thursday (November 27) at Bardney Dairies there will be a total of 100 complete planting packs comprising plant protection materials, trees and hedging to give away.

To get one of the limited number of tree or hedgerow planting packs, you need to get registered via Eventbrite prior to the event and then, when notified you’ve been successful in the application, collect the tree and hedgerow packs from the centre on the allotted day.

Each free tree pack contains 50 trees, stakes and tree guards – a mix of small-leaved lime, hornbeam, English oak, field maple, wild cherry and hazel.

The free hedge packs include 250 hedging plants, a native mix of hawthorn, hazel, dogwood, dog rose and blackthorn along with canes and spiral guards. Enough to create up to 50m of double-row hedgerow.

Lincolnshire County Council has a goal of planting 750,000 trees across the county. The council’s tree planting project, LincWoods, is working with the Woodland Trust, The Tree Council, Lincolnshire Co-op and the Forestry Commission.

They are working with landowners, farmers, businesses, parish councils and communities to support the planting of new woodlands, hedgerows, orchards and individual trees.

They can offer free help and advice on everything from which species to go for, protection, management, funding and grant options available on a site-specific basis.

· To find out more information, go to: www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/trees or email [email protected]