OVER £90,000 in grant funding has been secured to plant around 3,000 trees and hedgerow trees in Bradford on Avon.

Wiltshire Council and Bradford on Avon Town Council have worked together to be awarded a £96,252.43 grant from the Forestry Commission’s Local Authorities Treescape Fund.

The grant will be matched with an additional contribution of £41,349 from the town council as part of a pilot planting scheme.

If successful the initiative could be rolled out in other parts of Wiltshire.

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Bradford mayor, Sarah Gibson said: “This funding will help Bradford on Avon Town Council act on the Climate and Ecological Emergencies.

“As we take on management of land from Wiltshire Council under the asset transfer programme, the town council will be able to quickly make a start on delivering improvements on the ground with the local community.

“We recently held a consultation about Poulton Park where residents told us they would like more trees planted and we will involve the public in identifying further places where these trees will make the town even more beautiful.”

“We’re pleased that we can announce this during the Big Green Week, where events for climate and nature are happening across the UK, including a community event on Saturday 25 September in St Margaret’s Hall and Westbury Gardens in Bradford on Avon.”

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The town council has already found suitable sites on its own land and land owned by the local authority which it will take over from Wiltshire as part of an asset transfer programme.

Cllr Nick Botterill, the cabinet member for climate change, said: “This funding will not only be spent on trees and hedgerows, but also on the equipment required to plant them, plus other features to protect the trees and benefit native wildlife, such as fencing to stop animals from eating or damaging the young trees.

“We’re looking forward to the start of the planting programme, and to watching the trees in the town’s parks, play areas, allotments and cemeteries as they grow and mature throughout the years to become a real green asset for the community and wildlife. This is a really positive step towards implementing the goals in our draft Natural Environment Plan and nature-based solutions to climate change, as also identified in the draft Climate Strategy.’’

Preparation work has already been completed and planting is due to start this winter.