Biodiversity is the wealth of wildlife around us. The District Council is a member of the Biodiversity Partnership for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. 

At present the grants towards increasing biodiversity offered by Huntingdonshire District Council are all targeted towards the planting of trees and hedges.
The location and type of planting, and the choice of species available, is guided by the principles detailed in the Cambridgeshire Landscape Guidelines-produced by the County and District Councils of Cambridgeshire.

The objectives of the schemes are to restore and increase tree and hedge cover in the District in a manner that reflects the characteristic woodland, avenues and hedgerows of the various different areas of landscape in the District. (For further information see Guidance notes)

Cambridgeshire County Council have produced a produced a Biodiversity Checklist giving guidelines for planners, developers and householders on how to provide for the needs of wildlife and their habitats.  See the link on the right for more details.

Parish Planting Scheme

All parishes are offered up to 50 trees a year to be planted in locations which are accessible to or seen by the public. The trees are bare rooted and provided with guards, stakes ties and mulch mats. Both the Parish Tree Wardens and the Parish Clerks receive initial notification of the annual scheme in July. Suggestions and requests are collated by each Parish and returned to Huntingdonshire District Council by October 31st. Some 45 parishes usually participate in the scheme. Orders are then delivered to each nominated person in the Parish in late November. This person distributes the trees to those who have requested them and ensures that they are planted correctly.

This scheme is 'free' in that Huntingdonshire District Council provides and delivers the trees but the Parishes provide the labour.

Special Schemes

If Parishes have a special scheme in mind, which does not fit into the Parish Planting Scheme, trees or hedging may be available. The schemes we have helped with include:

• providing individual large Memorial trees to commemorate people or events
• a line of Oaks along a favourite circular walk
• hedging along a cemetery and a recreation ground
• a blossom walk to link two parishes together.

We often ask the parish to pay 25% of the cost of supply and delivery whilst Huntingdonshire District Council pays the remainder. This amount is variable and depends on the nature of each request.

For further information please contact the Tree and Landscape Section at Huntingdonshire District Council on 01480 388437/ 388438 or 388439