WOODLAND SCHEMES England and Wales
10 May 2002
WOODLAND SCHEMES England and Wales
GRANT aid for establishing and managing farm woodlands comes through two schemes. The Woodland Grant Scheme (WGS) is administered by the Forestry Commission and gives grants for all woodland planting in the whole of Great Britain (and also grants for managing existing woods). The Farm Woodland Premium Scheme (FWPS) provides additional grants for plantings on agricultural land and is operated by DEFRA in England and NAWAD in Wales.
Woodland Grant Scheme – new planting
To be eligible, areas of new woodland planting normally have to be bigger than 0.25ha and more than 15m wide. The payments for new planting are shown in the table.
Woodland Grant Scheme – existing woodland
Grants are also available under the WGS for managing existing woodlands. Payments of £325/ha for conifers and £525/ha for broadleaves are paid for restocking after felling or windblow.
An annual management grant of £35/ha is available for existing woods under certain circumstances, as is a livestock exclusion annual premium of £80/ha.
Farm Woodland Premium Scheme
This is available in addition to the planting grants available under the WGS. The Farm Woodland Premium Scheme (FWPS) gives annual payments on land previously used for growing crops or grazing livestock.
• Land must have been in agricultural use for the last three years.
• Aid is limited to 40ha of unimproved, and 200ha of land in total.
• The minimum area is 1ha/business (this can be made up of
smaller plantings).
• Agroforestry, short rotation coppice, and Christmas tree
production is not eligible.
Woodland Improvement Grant (WIG)
A single payment providing half the net costs (max £10,000) for projects that encourage suitable work to existing woodlands. WIG projects include:
• Providing public recreation.
• Under-managed woods.
• Woodland biodiversity.
• Challenge funds – support is available to encourage new plantings in specific areas of the UK. Applicants must
submit bids for the amount of money they require.
• National Forest – a tender scheme is also open to
encourage new planting in the National Forest located in English Midlands.
Applications
England: DEFRA Rural Development Service
(see last page for contact details).
Wales: NAWAD Divisional Offices (see last page for contact details).
Broadleaves £/ha Conifers £/ha
Basic grant – under 10ha £1050 £700
Over 10ha £1350 £700
Better land supplement (for planting on £600 £600arable or improved grassland) an extra:
Community woodland supplement (within £950 £950five miles of a centre of population), an extra:
Locational supplement (for plantings in £600 £600specially-targeted areas), an extra:
Minimum stocking rate (trees/ha) £2250 £2250
£/ha/year
Outside LFA Disadvantaged Severely
areas disadvantaged
areas
Land eligible for AAPS £300 £230 £160
Other cropped land and £260 £200 £140improved grass
Unimproved land n/a £60 £60