District Dispatch - 14 October 2025

One of the key actions within the plan is to continue the great work of our Tree Chichester District scheme, and I'm really pleased to let you know that we've just secured further funding to support new tree planting projects this winter. This means we can offer free trees and support materials to residents, community groups, parish councils, farmers and organisations who want to plant trees outside of existing woodlands in our district. If you own the land or have permission from the landowner, and the project offers a public or community benefit — whether that's planting in a space people can access, or that involves others in the planting itself — please apply!

Applications are open until 17 November 2025, and you can request an application form by emailing: treescheme@chichester.gov.uk. Our Tree Project Officer will assess each site, and trees will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. If your application is successful, you'll need to complete your planting by 16 February 2026.

Whether you're looking to plant a community orchard, a hedgerow, a few individual trees, a small copse, or even a Miyawaki mini urban forest, we'd love to hear from you. The project has been made possible with the support of a grant from The Tree Council's and Defra's Trees Outside Woodland Fund, which will enable us to cover the cost of the trees, as well as essential items to support their growth — such as tree guards and mulch. In some cases, the scheme may also be able to cover the cost of fencing to protect the planting area.

Through our Tree Chichester District scheme, the council has helped plant 65,000 trees at over 210 sites in the last four years, including ten mini urban forests and 19 community orchards. You can find more information about the scheme on our Tree Chichester District scheme web page.

I also want to remind you about our Carbon Literacy training event at Graylingwell Chapel in Chichester on 10 November 2025. This full-day session, running from 9am to 5pm, is based on the globally recognised Carbon Literacy Project and is designed to help people identify practical changes they can make to reduce their carbon footprint. It's being delivered by our experienced in-house facilitator, Mike Pierce, and includes a midday networking session to connect attendees with local climate action groups.

This event also marks the launch of our Chichester District Climate Action Network, which aims to connect and support climate action groups across the district, leading to even more steps being taken to tackle climate change. If you'd like to attend the training and become certified as 'Carbon Literate', please book your place online for the upcoming Carbon Literacy Action Day training (opens new window). If you represent a community action group and would just like to attend the networking session, please email: climatechange@chichester.gov.uk.

I'm really looking forward to attending and hope to meet some of you there. Whether you're just starting your climate journey or are already involved in local action, this event is a chance to learn more and connect with others who are passionate about our environment.

In the meantime, if you would like to stay informed about the work we're doing around climate change, don't forget to sign up to receive our dedicated Climate Change email newsletter. These regular updates are delivered directly to your inbox and include details about climate initiatives taking place across the district.

Best wishes

Cllr Jonathan Brown
Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Environment at Chichester District Council