With £15.9 million available in its first year, this new flagship grant scheme supports the creation of a range of woodland types and sizes, while providing greater financial incentives for landowners and farmers to plant and manage trees.
EWCO provides greater flexibility and recognition of the benefits woodland can provide for people and wildlife by offering additional incentives to ensure the right tree is planted in the right place for the right reason.
The grant will cover standard capital costs for tree planting (up to a per hectare cap of £8,500) and annual maintenance payments of £200 per hectare for 10 years, as well as rewarding farmers and landowners for providing public and wider environmental benefits.
Full details and guidance at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/england-woodland-creation-offer
Additional Contributions (which can be combined) will be available for:
- nature and species recovery – between £1,100/ha and £2,800/ha available where woodland creation will help woodland-dependent priority species to recover..
- tree planting near watercourses and rivers (riparian buffers) – £1,600/ha available where the creation of native broadleaved woodland along water courses will improve river habitats.
- reduced flood risk – £500/ha available where woodland creation can help reduce the risk of flooding.
- improved public access – £2,200/ha available where woodland creation will provide long-term permissive access for the public to enjoy.
- close to settlements – £500/ha available where woodland creation will provide social and environmental benefits by being close to people.
- improved water quality – £400/ha available for woodlands that clean our water by reducing pollutants through land use change by intercepting pollution and sediment before it reaches watercourses.