24/11/2023: Tree planting at Oxburgh Hall begins

Breckland Council has joined forces with the National Trust charity to plant 2,400 trees at Oxburgh Hall.

Investing £25,000 to support the woodland restoration project, Breckland Council is working towards its commitment to plant more trees in the district as part of its environment sustainability goals. The native, broadleaf trees have been placed across seven acres of land and have been fenced-off to prevent predation by the local deer population. The planting will create a 'Woodland of Thanks' to recognise those in the public sector who worked during the Covid Pandemic. 

The Green Light Trust, which is one of the National Trust's partner organisations, are assisting with the planting. The Green Light Trust supports children, young people, and adults to refocus their lives through the power of nature. They deliver woodland programmes that support education and wellbeing and involve participants in woodland management and conservation activities, helping them to improve their confidence, wellbeing, and the building of new skills.

Cllr Helen Crane, Breckland Council's Executive Member for Sustainability, commented: "It is exciting to see this project underway after months of careful planning. The trees will help form a new forest and increase biodiversity and sustainability in the area."

A spokesperson for the National Trust, added: "We're happy to see more trees being planted across Norfolk, it brings us another step closer to our goal of planting 20 million trees across the country by 2030. Just one tree could remove 1 tonne of carbon dioxide from the air over its lifetime."

To find out more about Breckland Council's sustainability strategy, visit www.breckland.gov.uk/environment/climate-change