Free trees available across Shropshire and Telford through nature recovery scheme
Free trees are available through the LNRS to help achieve ambition to plant 20,000 trees
Communities, schools, farmers, landowners and parish councils across Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin can now apply for free trees through a major new programme aiming to plant more than 20,000 trees.
Thanks to funding from Defra through The Tree Council’s Trees Outside Woodland Fund and the Carbon Footprint the Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) Trees for Nature Recovery scheme will support community orchards, forest gardens, hedgerows, agroforestry, riverside planting and other projects that help nature recover.
The Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) Trees for Nature Recovery scheme will support community orchards, forest gardens, hedgerows, agroforestry, riverside planting and other projects that help nature recover.
Shropshire Council and Telford & Wrekin Council are working together to support landowners and communities to plant the trees. Projects of all sizes are welcome, from a handful of trees on a village green to larger schemes that create and connect wildlife habitats. More than 100 organisations and community groups are expected to take part.
Applications are particularly encouraged for community spaces, care settings and social housing areas. Community orchards and forest gardens can provide fruit, support pollinators and wildlife, and create welcoming spaces that bring people together. Following this year’s exceptionally hot summer, it is hoped that the trees can also help communities become more resilient by providing shade and cooling streets, gardens and public spaces.
Sarah Marston, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for the environment, said:-
“Whether you want to create a community orchard, plant a hedgerow, establish a forest garden, improve habitats or enhance a local green space, this scheme can help turn those ambitions into reality.”
Carolyn Healy, Telford & Wrekin Council’s deputy leader and Cabinet member for neighbourhoods, planning & sustainability, said:-
“Through our Telford Forest Communities programme, we have already made significant investments in protecting, enhancing and expanding tree cover across the Borough, helping to maintain Telford and Wrekin’s reputation as one of the greenest places in the country.
“We’re pleased to be working alongside Shropshire Council on this initiative and look forward to receiving project ideas from communities, schools, organisations and landowners who want to play a part in creating greener, healthier and more resilient places for people and wildlife.”
Nature Minister Jenny Riddell-Carpenter said:-
“The thousands of new trees planted through The Trees Outside Woodland Fund bring nature closer to people, create homes for wildlife and provide vital shade during the kind of extreme heat we have seen this summer. Too many communities can’t easily access green spaces which is why we are investing over a billion pounds in tree planting and habitat restoration over the course of this Parliament, helping to deliver our manifesto commitment to create three new national forests and deliver a host of other benefits for people across the country.”
The Tree Council CEO, Sara Lom said:-
“In its 2025/26 launch year, The Tree Council was able to work with communities to plant 175,000 trees across 2,645 sites. These trees will bring shade for park visitors, help improve people’s mental health, and reduce the risks of flash flooding. They will create homes for birds, insects and small mammals and corridors for foraging bats and hedgehogs – and the orchards will provide nectar for pollinators as well as future fruit for residents. We’re delighted to partner with Defra once again to offer this Tree Council grant opportunity to benefit people, wildlife and our planet, and especially Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin residents.”
People and organisations are now invited to submit project ideas and suitable planting locations. The scheme is open for application until 6th December 2026, with trees to be planted by 21st February 2027.
Apply for trees here: Shropshire Community Tree Scheme 2026/27 | Shropshire Council
