Council to tackle lack of trees and hedgerows

21 December 2025

Oliver CastleLocal Democracy Reporting Service

News image — A new study has found parts of south and east Lincolnshire have below average tree and hedgerow cover

Getty Images The mouth of the Vernatt’s Drain where it feeds into the River Welland near Spalding, The eastern bank of the Welland can be seen crossing the centre of the image and there is a blue and white boat in the foreground. — A new study has found parts of south and east Lincolnshire have below average tree and hedgerow cover

A council says it will work to plant more trees and hedgerows after acknowledging it had a lower level of coverage than many other areas.

Members of South Holland District Council's (SHDC) cabinet met on Tuesday to discuss a five-year strategy to manage, plant, and promote trees and hedgerows.

The South and East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership developed said data showed approximately 6.5% of land in south and east Lincolnshire was classified to have tree cover and 1.5% was classified as having hedgerow coverage.

The national average tree cover stands at 12.8% along with a national hedgerow average of 2.5%.

Council leader Nick Worth acknowledged South Holland had particularly low levels, but said it was "worth bearing in mind" the agricultural nature of the area.

"That is why we have so few trees," he said.

"We prioritise farming and food over the trees so that's probably not a big surprise."

He added the strategy aimed to encourage farmers to put in new hedgerows wherever they can.

The proposal has also been considered by the neighbouring authorities in East Lindsey and Boston, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

SHDC said it would look to work in partnership with the environmental group Friends of the Earth to identify potential locations in the area.

A potential 2,243 acres (908 hectares) of land in East Lindsey has been identified, 27 acres (11 hectares) in Boston, but less than 2.5 acres (1 hectare) in South Holland, the meeting was told.

Councillor Elizabeth Sneath, portfolio holder for conservation and heritage, said trees and hedgerows played "a central role" in response to biodiversity loss and climate change.

"The changing climate and increased risk of extreme weather events highlights the importance of our green infrastructure to protect our communities and underpins our ability to adapt to climate change," she said.

Sneath added Boston and South Holland have "a traditionally fenland landscape" and therefore a much lower level of tree coverage than many other parts of the country.

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