Leicester Tree Strategy Review

Trees & Woodlands Portfolio Key Facts

Leicester City Council manages a tree stock of 178,000 registered trees. This includes 112 hectares of woodland. 79,000 trees have been planted since the 1980s.

The in-house team compromises of 35 staff. There is an annual revenue budget of £1.4m.

10,580 small trees and 412 large trees were planted in 2022/23. 714 trees were felled as part of stock management, ash dieback & storms. That’s 15 trees planted for every tree felled.

Four of the city’s parks now have online tree trails that encourage people to find out more about our magnificent trees. These are located at Abbey Park, Castle Hill Country Park, Humberstone Park and Western Park.

100% of by-product waste recycled (900 tonnes) - a combination of biofuel woodchip material, logs and mulch - saving an estimated £95,000 in landfill and transport costs.

In partnership with The Tree Council, we now have 28 volunteer tree wardens. Six of these wardens joined us this year.

Leicester City Council’s Ash Dieback Action Plan will be used to manage the risks associated with this disease over the next ten years.
An online information page is available for members of the public and tree owners.

Planting schemes in partnership with Earthwatch and the Woodland Trust (such as the Saving Saffron Brook project) has resulted in over 9,500 new trees being planted in the city.

530 Tree Preservation Orders and 25 Conservation Areas are in place, offering a level of amenity tree protection.

159 planning consultations have been undertaken relating to Tree Preservation Order applications and notifications of trees in conservation areas.

Successful completion of the Phase 2 Western Park project. 40 diseased trees felled and 80 heavy stock trees planted.

Leicester City Council was recognised as a Queen’s Green Canopy Champion City. A silver birch tree from the Tree of Trees sculpture was presented to the Lord Mayor and planted at Abbey Park.

Around 17 percent of the city is covered in tree canopy.

The council spends around £2million each year planting, protecting and managing our trees.