Woodland in Rotherham to be named after Queen Elizabeth II

Biodegradable guards will protect the young trees when they are planted and eliminate plastic waste

A new community woodland in honour of the late Queen will be planted in Rotherham.

The 7,000 tree grove will be named the Queen Elizabeth II Community Woodland, as part of the Platinum Jubilee Queen's Green Canopy initiative.

It has been funded through the Woodland Trust's Grow Back Greener programme, which aims to plant 60m trees across the north of England.

Former grazing land off Athorpe Road has been cleared for the planting.

Councillor David Sheppard, cabinet member for social inclusion at Rotherham Council, said: "The Queen Elizabeth II Community Woodland forms part of our efforts to create a greener and cleaner local environment for residents.

"There will be lots of opportunities for people to get involved in this exciting project, including a planting day, which is set to take place later this month."

The saplings will be protected from animals by biodegradable guards around their trunks to eliminate the use of plastic.

Matt North, programme manager at the South Yorkshire Woodland Partnership, said: "It's fantastic to see the local community being able to take part in helping create and care for this significant project in Dinnington."

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the community planting day will take place on 25 February from 10.00 to 15:00 GMT