County Council Cabinet approves first forest plan to benefit communities

A 25-year plan for increasing woodland within the Derbyshire Heartwood Community Forest area has been approved by Derbyshire County Council’s Cabinet

Derbyshire’s Heartwood Community Forest – which is funded through England’s Community Forests Trees for Climate Fund, supported by DEFRA – covers around 289 sq miles to the east and south of Derbyshire, including parts of Amber Valley, Bolsover, Chesterfield, Erewash, North East Derbyshire and South Derbyshire as well as the city of Derby.

It is one of 15 community forests located in and around large towns and cities across the country, providing urban, economic and social regeneration, championing green infrastructure and creating high-quality environments for hundreds of thousands of people. 

The forest area was chosen because:

• existing tree cover is low in many places
• many people lack access to local woodlands
• many of the landscape areas have been impacted by past development, including mineral abstraction, and now have capacity for more trees, hedgerows and woodland
• additional trees and woodland can benefit health and wellbeing, nature and the local economy. 

A key feature of the Forest Plan is annual tree planting with government-funded grants available for landowners, businesses, farmers and other local groups in the area. The grant funding aims to cover all costs associated with woodland creation and:

• access infrastructure such as gates, paths and stiles
• expert and impartial advice and support from the county council to guide landowners through planning, funding and planting
• ongoing tree maintenance to ensure new woodlands thrive.

The county council is aiming to plant 121 hectares of trees within the community forest area before March 2026, with 80 hectares already in the pipeline and the remaining 41 hectares expected to be secured and added to the pipeline ahead of the planting season. To date, the council has planted 47,000 trees at locations ranging from a private golf club to the council’s own countryside sites.  

In preparing the Forest Plan, engagement has taken place with a number of key stakeholder organisations including district and borough councils.

Derbyshire County Council’s Cabinet Member Net Zero and Environment Councillor Carol Wood said: “Derbyshire is an area of outstanding beauty, and our new Forest Plan focuses on connecting more people with trees, woodlands and nature. The plan will support our work to plant more trees to nurture our diverse ecosystems – backing our commitment to create more prosperous, green and sustainable places with opportunities for all. 

“We have some wonderful sites in this great county of ours, which as they mature and develop offer fantastic space for outdoor recreation. Working together, our 25 year plan will increase green space and access to nature for local communities, bringing benefits for people's health and wellbeing, as well as supporting economic and social regeneration.”

Anyone interested in applying for a grant for tree planting as part of Derbyshire’s Heartwood Community Forest can find out more on the council’s website at www.derbyshire.gov.uk/heartwood