Farms, schools and community groups can get at least 10 fruit trees free to plant a small orchard. Proposals close at the end of November, first come first served.

Farms, schools and community groups in the Lichfield district can get fruit trees free of charge to plant or restore a small traditional orchard. Proposals must be in by the end of November, and the money goes to the first suitable schemes to come forward.

Staffordshire County Council is running the scheme for the Local Nature Recovery Partnership, with funding from the Tree Council (Staffordshire County Council, 13 November 2026). It covers the whole of Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent.

Overview

  • Who can apply: farmers and other landowners, schools and community groups.
  • What you get: at least 10 fruit trees, plus advice and planting kit, at no cost.
  • Deadline: proposals by the end of November 2026. Trees must be in the ground by the end of February 2027.
  • The catch: the land has to sit in an area the county’s nature recovery map marks as important, or potentially important, for wildlife.
  • How to ask: email trees@staffordshire.gov.uk.

What the scheme pays for

The aim is to restore or plant 20 traditional small orchards across the county. That is one of the targets in the forthcoming Local Nature Recovery Strategy for Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent.

Successful applicants can receive:

  • the fruit trees, with advice on which varieties suit the site
  • tree stakes, ties and delivery
  • portable water tanks to help the trees establish
  • safety kit such as helmets, gloves and boots
  • possibly some help with hiring machinery for planting

Each scheme must plant at least 10 trees. Small agroforestry trials, where trees are grown alongside crops or livestock, may also be considered (Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent LNRS).

Applicants do not have to put in any money. In return, they agree to show that the trees have been planted and are being looked after.

Is your land eligible?

The planting site must fall inside one of two kinds of area on the strategy’s map:

  • an Area that Could Become Important for Biodiversity (ACB)
  • an Area of Particular Importance for Biodiversity (APIB)

Sites that can be seen from a public road, path or viewpoint are preferred. You can check your land on the LNRS consultation map by searching your postcode and switching on the ACB and APIB layers. The partnership says the map is being updated, so you need to confirm eligibility with the council before going further.

The same draft map has a layer for orchard restoration itself. It marks 241 sites across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent where the strategy proposes restoring or replanting orchards. Our check of that layer found 23 of them inside Lichfield district, covering about five hectares in all.

Why it is first come, first served

The Tree Council money has to be spent within the planting season. The partnership says proposals sent after the end of November “cannot be entertained” because the trees must be planted by the end of February 2027.

What it means for you

  • If you run a farm, a school or a community space with room for ten trees, check the map now. The deadline is about two weeks away.
  • Talk to the council before you plan anything. Andrew Walton, the county’s tree strategy manager, handles proposals at trees@staffordshire.gov.uk.
  • Think about upkeep. The scheme asks for evidence that the trees take, so someone needs to water and look after them through next summer.