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7,000 trees planted to create new woodland in Loughborough – Latest News – News Updates
Published: Fri 24th April, 2026
Photo shows Mayor of Charnwood, Cllr David Northage (centre), Cllr Beverley Gray, the Council’s Lead Member for Biodiversity and Climate Action and Cllr Anne Gray, the Council’s Lead Member for Open Spaces with representatives from National Forest and Charnwood Borough Council
The planting of 7,000 trees to create a new woodland in Nanpantan in Loughborough has been completed.
Charnwood Borough Council carried out the tree planting on the 8.6 hectare site which is located near Nanpantan Road Cemetery.
Cllr Beverley Gray, the Council’s Lead Member for Biodiversity and Climate Action, said: “I am delighted that 7,000 trees have been planted in Nanpantan to create this wonderful new woodland.
“This will grow into a fantastic place for residents and visitors to come to and enjoy the outdoors for many years to come.
“Now that all the trees have been planted, this means over 20,000 saplings have been planted in the past four years which is helping increase biodiversity in Charnwood and will hopefully encourage more people to get active and enjoy our open spaces.
“I would like to thank National Forest for providing the funding which has gone a long way in creating this woodland.”
The creation of the new woodland and an all accessibility track has cost £170,000 which has been funded through a grant from National Forest.
The tree planting took place in March.
Stuart Dainton, Head of Land Management and Estate at National Forest, said: “This new woodland is an important addition to the wider National Forest, helping to connect habitats and improve the resilience of the landscape.
“Establishing trees is just the first step and over time this site will mature into a rich, diverse space for people and nature. We’re proud to have supported its creation in partnership with Charnwood Borough Council.”
The tree saplings which have been planted are a combination of native broadleaf species including oak, birch, ash and rowan.
The Mayor of Charnwood, Cllr David Northage, attended the site and helped plant a tree at the new woodland.
The Council will replace any trees that do not survive for the first five years.
The tree guards and stakes which currently surround each tree sapling will be removed and fully recycled once the trees are established.
The trees have been planted at a set density in rows. Woodland thinning is expected to take place around 15 years after planting which will make the woodland look less uniform.
A community woodland was planted in Hathern in 2022. The Hathern Community Woodland was the largest tree planting project that the Council has carried out with 14,000 trees planted across the 15-acre site.