Tree planting underway to create Derbyshire's Heartwood Community Forest

The first of more than 47,000 trees are being planted – marking the start of the creation of Derbyshire’s new Heartwood Community Forest.

Derbyshire’s Heartwood Community Forest aims to make communities, farms and businesses more attractive and naturally diverse – enabling them to increase biodiversity and make their own contribution to tackling climate change. It will also benefit the wider environment and people’s health and wellbeing.

Led by Derbyshire County Council, the ambitious programme and grant scheme will create a new forest of thousands of trees across eastern and southern Derbyshire and Derby bringing communities in more urban areas closer to nature. 

The grants will support landowners by covering 100% of the costs for all aspects of woodland creation, and their ongoing maintenance for up to 15 years.

Until the end of the the first planting season at the end of March, around 47,000 trees will be planted on 43 hectares of land across 17 sites, ranging from a major business park by the M1 to a canal side wharf in Pinxton and country parkland in Shipley, Grassmoor and Langwith.

A target of 130 hectares of land has been set for the next planting season starting in October 2025, and the council wants anyone with land suitable for tree planting, where it’s small or large, to get in touch.

Speaking at the site of last week’s tree planting scheme at Hepthorne Lane, near Grassmoor Country Park, Councillor Carolyn Renwick, Derbyshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Infrastructure and Environment, said: “I’m delighted to join the team here in Grassmoor today during the first planting season for Derbyshire’s Heartwood Community Forest.

“We’ve set ourselves ambitious planting targets and while we’re off to a great start, we really need private landowners, farmers and communities with even the smallest parcels of land to come forward and find out more about our generous, hassle-free tree planting grants and support.

“Whether its people wanting to enhance their land, businesses looking to go green or communities who want to improve their green spaces, Derbyshire’s Heartwood Community Forest is an opportunity for landowners of all kinds to improve the natural environment and help tackle climate change.” 

You can find full details about the initiative here. It supports the county council’s Million Trees ambition to help facilitate the planting of a million trees across Derbyshire by 2030. 

Derbyshire’s Heartwood Community Forest is funded by the England's Community Forests Trees for Climate Fund, supported by Defra. 

Areas that will qualify for tree planting include the Breadsall, Breaston, Ilkeston, Long Eaton, Sandiacre and West Hallam areas of Erewash.