Ambitious plans to plant 700,000 trees across Leicestershire have reached a major milestone – including a scheme at Ravenstone.

A total of 250,000 trees have now been planted in the county.

That includes 12,000 native trees at Ravenstone Woodland.

During the winter of 2021, Leicestershire County Council planted a new woodland on 8.6 hectares of farmland off Heather Lane in Ravenstone.

The site provides a link between the important National Forest sites of Sence Valley Forest Park to the east, the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Woodland to the west and Miners Wood to the north.

A total of 12,000 native trees were planted across the site to create three large woodland compartments, and a significant area of tussock grassland was created to provide habitat suitable for birds of prey, particularly barn owls.

The overall landmark is seen as a major step forward in the County Council's drive to plant one tree for every person in Leicestershire - and help secure a greener future.

The authority says it supports the initiative by planting trees directly, applying for funding or giving away tree planting kits and is thanking residents for getting on board.

Councillor Blake Pain, cabinet member for environment and the green agenda, said: "This is a great moment for the county as we mark this milestone – a quarter of a million trees planted around Leicestershire.

"The benefits of trees and woodlands are huge, ecologically, environmentally and socially. The target of 700,000 trees is still a long way off, but I'm delighted that we've reached this significant point in our planting programme, and would like to thank everyone who has helped us on the way to our bold target."

Over the last year, the council has supported and been involved with a number of tree planting schemes across the county, working with community and nature groups to supply tree and help with the planting.

Councillor Blake Pain at the launch of the tree nursery earlier this year.

People across the county are being invited to play their part in making Leicestershire greener by planting their own trees and then recording them using the online tree recording form. These new trees will then contribute towards the 700,000 trees target, shown on the interactive tree map.

Earlier this year, the council announced plans to develop a community tree nursery in partnership with the National Forest, to collect seeds and grow 20,000 trees per year to plant across Leicestershire.

The nursery will also supply the National Forest Company and potentially other local authorities – although most of the trees grown at the site will be planted within the county.

A searchable website-based map which allows people in Leicestershire to play their part in protecting some of the county's most valuable trees was launched earlier this year. The map details every Tree Preservation Order (TPO) managed by Leicestershire County Council and shows if an individual tree, group of trees or even entire woodlands, are covered by one of the orders.

The searchable map, as well as detailed information on TPOs, how to apply for permission to carry out works to a tree covered by a TPO and details of how to contact the TPO team for further advice, can be found at www.leicestershire.gov.uk/tree-preservation-order

The council has also developed the Value of Trees toolkit - an innovative new resource which provides valuable guidance on the planting of trees and helps ensure that the right trees are planted in the right place.

It will be used by the authority's highway planners to guide the re-establishment of trees along the highway and in the creation of new developments. It provides information on how to select the right species of tree for specific locations; the cost of looking after trees over their lifetime; best practice on planting and maintaining trees to ensure they thrive; and guidance on the monetary value of different species in terms of the ecosystem benefits they provide, such as carbon storage, erosion prevention, flood management and reducing air pollution.

The Value of Trees toolkit is now being piloted by the council, which hopes to work with a developer on a scheme – and may be adopted by other local authorities across the country as good practice.

A free tree scheme last year gave away a record 34,000 trees to farmers, landowners, community groups, parish councils and schools in a bid to encourage more tree planting across Leicestershire.

The free tree and hedgerow packs, supplied in partnership with the Woodland Trust, 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.

More information on the council's tree ambitions and the interactive map showing the number of trees planted is available at www.leicestershire.gov.uk/trees