North East Derbyshire District Council produced its first Biodiversity Duty Report in January 2024.
The report covers the period 1 January 2023 to 1 January 2024 and sets out the work undertaken by the Council to plan for enhancing biodiversity in the District.
The report is split into four parts:
- Part 1 sets out the policies, objectives and actions that have already been adopted by the Council that assist with the duty to conserve and enhance biodiversity;
- Part 2 sets out the results of the ‘first consideration’ work undertaken by officers;
- Part 3 sets out the actions that the Council will take over the next five years; and
- Part 4 summarises the work the Council is undertaking as Local Planning Authority in relation to Biodiversity Net Gain.
A link to the report (approved by Cabinet in January 2024) is below:
See our Biodiversity report 2023-2024 (.pdf| 2.0mb)
For more in depth reads see:
Heartwood Community Forest
Derbyshire County Council successfully bid to government for funds to create Heartwood Community Forest, which is being created along the eastern and southern fringes of Derbyshire county.
Community forests not only promote local biodiversity and help to mitigate climate change effects by sequestrating carbon emissions, but also provide communities with vital green spaces for recreation, relaxation and connection with nature.
The Heartwood Community Forest will stretch over a geographic area of approximately 289 square miles, including Coal Aston, Clay Cross, Dronfield, Eckington and Killamarsh, Sutton, Wingerworth, Shirland in North East Derbyshire District, as well as the following areas county-wide:
- Amber Valley - Alfreton, Somercotes, Heanor, Ripley, Codnor
- Bolsover - Barlborough, Clowne, Bolsover, Shirebrook, Pleasley, South Normanton, Pinxton, Tibshelf, Glapwell
- Chesterfield - Birdholme, Boythorpe, Brampton, Brimington, Chesterfield, Loundsley Green and Newbold, Staveley, Whittington
- Erewash - Breadsall, West Hallam, Breaston, Horsley, Ilkeston, Long Eaton, Sandiacre
- South Derbyshire - Etwall and Repton, Hilton, Melbourne, Sawley
- Derby
To create the Heartwood Community Forest, Derbyshire County Council aims to plant 300 000 trees on publicly accessible land by March 2025 and 1 000 000 trees by 2030.
Although many of the sites for forest creation are on public land, the support of private land owners would help to increase the tree cover across the community forest area.
Grants to support the landowners are also available, through the Trees for Climate fund. Funding is available for a range of different woodland options, from small-scale tree planting and low-density tree planting to large multi-use woodlands extending more than 5 hectare.
To support the creation of Heartwood Community Forest and Derbyshire County Council’s 1 000 000 tree ambition, we have opened Community Action Grants to include applications for tree planting. Although the Forest covers only part of the District, Community Groups, Schools and Parish Councils can now apply for a grant in ANY area of North East Derbyshire District to support these schemes.
To find out more about Heartwood Community Forest visit:
- Derbyshire’s Heartwood Community Forest set to flourish - Derbyshire County Council
- Derbyshire's Heartwood Community Forest - Derbyshire County Council
To learn more about community forests visit:
For more funding opportunities visit:
- Trees for climate - England's Community Forests (englandscommunityforests.org.uk)
- Community Action Grants, CAG Tree Planting and Eco Schools Grants - North East Derbyshire District Council (ne-derbyshire.gov.uk)
To record the location and species of the trees planted, please visit: