The English Woodland Creation Offer – grant funding available for planting trees on your land
The English Woodland Creation Offer (EWCO) is a scheme run by the Forestry Commission where landowners can apply for grant funding to support the creation of new woodland areas on their land. The minimum area of land required to be eligible for funding is 1 hectare. This can be split into any number of smaller parcels of at least 0.1 hectares and at least 20m depth.
There is a grant of up to £10,200 per hectare available for the capital items and related activities needed to establish the new woodland areas, and then annual maintenance payments of £350 per hectare for 15 years to help establish the young trees once the initial planting is complete.
Once the initial planting is complete, there are several additional one-off payments that can be claimed if the location and the design of the new woodland provides public benefit. These additional payments can be combined so you can claim for multiple payments on the same land where applicable.
Additional contributions include:
- Nature Recovery – up to £2,800 per hectare for woodlands that restore nature and species
- Flood Risk – £500 per hectare for woodlands that help reduce the risk of flooding
- Water Quality – £400 per hectare for woodlands that will improve water quality
- Riparian Buffers – £1,600 per hectare for woodlands along riverbanks that improve water habitat
- Close to settlements – up to £500 per hectare for creating woodlands close to where people live
- Recreational Access – up to £2,200 per hectare for providing access to woodlands for the public to enjoy
If you are interested in exploring the feasibility of planting new woodland on your land, please contact a member of the Rural Professionals team who will be able to check which parts of your land are eligible for the scheme, and which sections of land qualify for additional payments.
