A pilot project to test the Value of Trees Toolkit, ensuring the right trees are planted in the right place, has seen new planting in Hinckley, in a partnership between Leicestershire County Council and developer Jelson Homes Limited.
The new trees have been planted by the council’s forestry team , with species being selected for their environmental and visual benefits, using the pioneering Value of Trees toolkit. The trees previously selected and planted at the site had failed to thrive and some had died. The new trees have been chosen using the Toolkit for their tolerance of the local site conditions, and their environmental benefits.
The toolkit was developed by Leicestershire County Council, working with consultants Treeconomics. It was commissioned by the Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning & Transport (ADEPT), and funded by the Rees Jeffreys Road Fund.
The Toolkit has been developed to be used by designers to guide the re-establishment of trees along the highway and in the creation of new developments, and to help identify the best species for new and replacement planting. The Value of Trees Toolkit can be found here.
If the Hinckley pilot is a success, the Value of Trees toolkit will be added to the Highway Design Guide and used across Leicestershire county to identify the best trees for new developments, new planting, and tree replacement projects. It is also hoped that the Value of Trees toolkit will be used as a blueprint and aid for other developers and adopted by other local authorities across the country as good practice.
