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Tag: Lake District National Park

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Westmorland & Furness Council – ‘One Tree Per Resident Project’

In response to the climate and biodiversity crises, Westmorland and Furness Council want to help our communities to plant one tree, or one metre of hedgerow equivalent, for every resident. This means planting a quarter of a million trees over a five-year period.

Trees have various benefits for climate, biodiversity and communities, such as:

  • absorbing and storing carbon
  • providing shade and shelter
  • increasing biodiversity and enhancing landscapes
  • capturing air pollution and improving air quality
  • improving water quality
  • reducing soil erosion
  • reducing flooding risk

How to get involved

There are many different ways in which you can help reach our aim of planting 250,000 trees. If would like more details or want to tell us how many trees or hedgerows you have planted so we can count them, please contact us.

Free Trees for Residents: We are giving away free tree saplings as part of the ‘One Tree Per Resident Project’.

Who Can Apply: You can apply on behalf of:

  • you – as a resident
  • schools
  • town and parish councils
  • landowners
  • community groups

Trees and Hedge Packs: You can apply for multiple saplings. Larger planting schemes will be assessed for feasibility. Tree species and numbers are subject to availability.

Tree species: There are 10 species of tree in the scheme.

  • Crab Apple – Small gardens, pot-friendly, moist, heavier soil, pollinators and birds.
  • Field Maple – Medium to large gardens, moderately moist, wildlife and autumn colour.
  • Guelder Rose – Small gardens, pot friendly, moist, fertile soil, berries for birds (otherwise toxic)
  • Hawthorn – Small to large gardens, moist to dry soil, wildlife.
  • Hazel – Small gardens, pot-friendly, moist soil, not waterlogged, wildlife and nuts.
  • Juniper – Small gardens, pot-friendly. Dry, well-drained soil. Wildlife, berries for birds (otherwise toxic)
  • Rowan – Small gardens, pot-friendly. Light, moist soil. Berries for birds (otherwise toxic)
  • Silver Birch – Medium to large gardens. Moist, well-drained soil. Wildlife, light canopy.
  • Whitebeam – Medium to large gardens. Dry to moist soil. Birds.
  • Yew – Small gardens, pot-friendly. Dry to moist soil. Evergreen, berries (all parts of the tree are toxic)

Pick the trees suitable for your planting area. Some are suitable for pots if managed. Read advice on how to pick the right trees to plant, and how to plant them on the Woodland Trust website

How to Apply: Before you apply, you’ll need to know: Your chosen tree species and the What3Words location of your planting site.

Applications will be open until 30 November 2025, but may clsoe early subject to demand. Please note hedge packs are not currently available due to high demand.

Apply online by clicking here.

If you need an accessible version, please contact us by email, or visit one of our offices or libraries.

Contact us: We’re keen to hear from you if you:

  • are interested in linking as a partner
  • would like to get involved, or have any suggestions about how to get involved
  • want to record your tree planting under the ‘One Tree per Resident Project’.
  • have any questions about the scheme

Please get in touch by email: futuretrees@westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk.

Partners: Our current partners include:

  • Forestry Commission
  • Lake District National Park
  • RAISE Community Forest
  • Ullswater Catchment Management CIC
  • Woodland Trust
  • Yorkshire Dales National Park

Progress: To date, we have planted 41,544 trees which is 17% of the total needed to achieve the goal of ‘One Tree per Resident’. This planting has been delivered by council teams, supported by the Community Orchard and Micro Woodland initiatives funded through the Coronation Living Heritage Fund.

Our key partner, Raise: Cumbria Community Forest, has also played a vital role in delivering additional planting schemes..

Fundraiser for 'Walks For All' Walks Coast-to-Coast

Cumbrian Volunteer walks Coast-to-Coast Route to Raise Funds For ‘Walks For All’

A Cumbrian volunteer has walked a unique Coast to Coast route to raise money for an accessible walks program.

Fenella Tratt set off from her home in Silverdale on Thursday, August 28th, making her way to Saltburn-by-the-Sea, to fundraise for the Dementia Friendly ‘Walks for All’ programme.

Completing the walk in ten days, Fenella is one of a team of volunteers at Arnside and Silverdale National Landscape who guide the walks for people living with dementia, and their carers.

Fenella said: “I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who sponsored me, because I’d probably have given up halfway if they hadn’t!​ I think we’ll have raised nearly £2,000 by the time I’ve added it all up! Everyone seems to have been following my blog and enjoying coming with me along the way, which has been the best thing.”

Fenella was supported along her 120-mile route by partner, Den, who drove their campervan ahead to the next campsite on each leg of the journey, as well as dogs, Bobbi and Roxy.

The Dementia Friendly ‘Walks for All’ programme was launched in 2019, led by Feleena Taylor, offering weekly routes for different mobility levels from March to mid-December with monthly meetings in January and February.

Feleena said: “Fenella has been a long serving volunteer for ‘Walks for All’ since 2019 and has witnessed the huge impact it has made to members and their carers. What she’s enjoyed the most is seeing how the walks provide a challenge, and I think this inspiration led to her own fantastic walking fundraising challenge! She’s a star volunteer, and now long distance walker and fundraiser!”

Fenella was inspired to become a volunteer to honour the memory of her father who was a volunteer warden in the Lake District National Park, and lived with Alzheimer’s in later life.

She said: “I know that he would have loved these Tuesday mornings, walking and chatting.”

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Westmorland & Furness Local Plan

Westmorland and Furness Local Plan – Consultation 8th July – 9th September 2024

Westmorland and Furness Council are starting work on a new Local Plan for Westmorland and Furness (excluding
the National Parks) which will replace all the existing local plans adopted by the former Councils.

They are kicking off the process with an ‘early conversation’ with our communities and stakeholders from 8th July 2024 until the 9th September 2024. Drop in events are happening across the district, where people can chat to Council officers about the
new Local Plan. Information about the early conversation, the drop-in-events and how to respond is available on the website

People are encouraged to take part in the conversation and other consultations listed below using the online survey forms. Paper copies are available upon request.

To support the Westmorland and Furness Local Plan we are also undertaking the following consultations:

  • A Design Code for the Westmorland and Furness Local Plan area which will guide and shape how new development is designed.
  • A ‘Call for Sites’ for land or sites that are available for housing, employment and mixed-use sites to be considered for potential allocation in the Local Plan (excluding sites in the Arnside and Silverdale National Landscape). As part of the Call for Sites we are also seeking comments on the draft SHELAA methodology.
  • A ‘Call for Sites’ for land or sites that are available for minerals and for waste development to be considered for potential allocation in the Local Plan.
  • Further details are available on our website, including how to access the online survey forms.
    Sites previously submitted or allocated to the Council must be re-submitted on the new form or they will not be taken forward for consideration in the Westmorland and Furness Local Plan.
  • Housing and employment site allocations in the Barrow, Eden and South Lakeland Local Plans, which do not yet have planning permission, will be reassessed for allocation in the new Local Plan. To ensure the review of these sites
    is based on to-up-date information, they should be resubmitted on the new Call for Sites form.
  • If you have any queries about the above please email us at localplan@westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk or call 0300 373 3300