£33,000 grants received for tree planting and orchards

Blackpool residents could soon be able to grow and pick their own fruit after the council secured funding to create new orchards across the town.

Grants will be handed out to community groups with the orchards expected to spring up in parks and near community centres.

The cash totalling around £33,000 has come from the Coronation Living Heritage Fund – a £2.5m pot of money being handed out to councils across the country to commemorate the coronation of King Charles.

The aim is to create green spaces by planting trees, establishing micro woodlands, and creating community orchards.

Blackpool Council has secured funding of £14,138 towards planting micro woods and £19,260 towards creating community orchards, which will be used towards achieving its aim of planting 10,000 trees over 10 years.

Blackpool has a tree canopy cover of only around five per cent compared to an England-wide average of just over 16 per cent in urban areas.

A council report says the funding for orchards and micro woods “will allow people to enjoy time outdoors, increase activity levels, and benefit from links with local food alliances and growing groups.”

It is hoped to build up partnerships involving schools and businesses to attract extra investment, with parks having already received interest from community groups wanting to plant orchards.

The report adds: “Planting micro woods in urban areas helps create pockets of biodiversity, providing habitats for wildlife and improving the urban environment.

“These small woodlands can also serve as educational resources and recreational spaces for the community.

“Community orchards offer numerous benefits, including providing fresh fruit,
fostering community spirit, and promoting sustainable practices. They also serve as green spaces where residents can connect with nature and each other.”

In December it was also revealed Blackpool had received £1.8m in a grant from water company United Utilities Green Recovery Street Trees Project.

That cash will help fund urban trees which can cost around £10,000 each due to complexities including the need for specialist drainage systems.

Calls have been made for more green spaces in Blackpool which is one of the most densely built up towns in the country. Demands for land near the new tram terminal and Holiday Inn Hotel in Talbot Road to be used as a pocket park were turned down by the council which is building a car park on the site instead.