Hertfordshire surpasses ambitious tree planting pledge ahead of winter season

The commitment, set out by the council earlier this year, aimed to accelerate Hertfordshire’s progress towards growing a more sustainable county. The latest figures show the council is on track to plant over 20,000 more trees than last year, doubling the pace of progress originally pledged by the new administration.

This rapid progress has been made possible through the expansion of the Your Tree Our Future scheme, which offers free trees for residents, businesses and community groups, and the success of the council’s Environmental Improvement Grants, which provide local landowners with funding and expert advice to deliver habitat creation and enhancement projects.

Cllr Paul Zukowskyj, Executive Member for Environment, Transport and Growth, said:

“We set out an ambitious goal to ramp up tree planting across Hertfordshire, and I’m proud to say we’ve already gone beyond what we promised. But this isn’t just about meeting targets, it’s about driving meaningful, lasting change for our communities.

We all know how much we all value trees and greenspaces. Hertfordshire is a beautiful place to live and with residents help we can make it even more green and pleasant.

Our success is thanks to residents, landowners and community partners who’ve stepped up to work with us. Together, we’re shaping a greener future for Hertfordshire.”

Council officers continue to work with landowners and partners to identify additional planting sites ahead of the main planting season, which begins in December.

Residents who applied for trees through this year’s Your Tree Our Future scheme will shortly receive details via email on where and when to collect their trees. Those who missed out can join the waiting list for next year’s scheme on the Your Tree Our Future webpage.

Tree planting remains a key part of the council’s wider strategy to support biodiversity, improve air quality, and build resilience to climate change across the county.