Councils invite community groups to help nature recovery on their land

Published 11 May 2026

South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils have made it easier for community organisations to create nature recovery projects such as wildflower meadows on district council-owned land. 

Previously both councils have provided licences for applicants to plant trees on their land, but as they want to encourage a broader range of nature recovery projects they have expanded their policy. It now includes planting of shrubs, sowing of wildflower meadows to encourage pollinators and installing man-made habitats such as insect “hotels” and bird and bat boxes to help increase the local wildlife.  

Firstly organisations, which should be a town or parish council or a local ‘not for profit’ group, should contact the council’s climate and biodiversity team to confirm that a piece of land they have earmarked for a nature project is owned by either of the district councils. They can then apply for a licence.   

In March 2025 Kingston Lisle Parish Council used the previous tree-planting scheme to obtain a licence to plant 16 fruit trees on Vale of White Horse District Council-owned land in the village. A year on, the young trees provide a great habitat for insects and wildlife, and the village is looking forward to its first harvest from its new orchard later in the year. 

Cllr Pieter- Paul Barker, South Oxfordshire District Council Cabinet Member for Finance and Property Assets said: “Both of our councils are committed to increasing the amount of council land managed for nature, as set out in our Nature and Climate Action Plan and Council Plan. To achieve these goals the councils expanded the existing tree planting policy, which has already enabled brilliant local groups to plant hundreds of trees on council land. We hope the new policy will see a similar increase in nature recovery projects.  

Cllr Dr Robert Clegg, Vale of White Horse District Council Cabinet Member for Environmental Services, Climate Action and Nature Recovery said: “By increasing the variety of proposals that local community groups and town and parish councils can undertake on council land it will enable a greater variety of wildlife to flourish. I am looking forward to seeing more insect hotels, bird and bat boxes and wildflower meadows in the district, as well as more trees. All of these measures can only increase the biodiversity and that is good for us as well as for wildlife.” 

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