A new grant scheme launched by Forestry Commission England to fund the creation of new woodlands across the country is now open for applications.

The Woodland Carbon Fund has been created to support the planting of multipurpose woodlands over 30 hectares in size, providing opportunities to work in partnership at a landscape scale and to improve public access to woodland.

It offers a maximum grant rate of £6,800 per hectare or £8,500 per hectare for areas around urban fringes and for those who provide permissive access to the public.

The Woodland Carbon Fund is a demand-led grant scheme which has been designed to boost the rate of woodland creation in England, whilst also demonstrating how woodland creation can help to meet the government’s future carbon targets.

This particular scheme will run alongside the existing Countryside Stewardship Woodland Creation Grant but will be steered towards larger scale woodland creation with an emphasis on commercially productive species and public access.

The fund is likely to remain open throughout 2017, but this will be dependent on interest. As there is no set closing date we would advise landowners to apply for this grant funding at the earliest opportunity.

To be eligible to apply, the proposed schemes will need to be a minimum 30 hectares in size with each block of land being at least 10 hectares. Up to 20 per cent open space is permitted in the woodland design. The approved scheme must be accompanied by a UKFS-compliant woodland creation design plan which can also be grant aided.

Further information

Contact Savills Rural, Energy & Projects Division