Establishing diverse woodlands through grants

Robust financial support through the EWCO and other grants has helped landowners across England establish diverse woodlands. Woodland creation still stands as one of the most effective ways to sequester carbon dioxide, positively contributing to net zero ambitions and helping to reverse the worrying trend of biodiversity loss.

The scheme has not been without its problems since its launch – we are not yet close to the aspirational annual targets of new woodland creation, and administrative complexities and capacity have regularly led to extended timescales for approval.

Despite these ongoing setbacks, green shoots are beginning to appear. In 2023-2024, approximately 4,550 hectares of new woodland were planted – a significant increase from 3,130 hectares the previous year. Early indications suggest a continued strong interest in woodland planting grants, which may bring England closer to annual targets.

EWCO can pay up to £22,900 per hectare, plus annual maintenance payments at £400 per hectare for 15 years, making many farmers consider how they could benefit from incorporating more woodland across their landholding. This has become more acute with the loss of the single farm payment this year and has led landowners to consider their options for diversification.

Tilhill Forestry has seen increased levels of interest in woodland planting grants across England and has helped a range of clients gain access to funding for new woodland planting, whether through EWCO or other schemes. The Woodland Creation Planning Grant (WCPG) provides financial support for the planning of new woodlands, while Trees for Climate Funding facilitates woodland planting projects within the 15 Community Forests in England. In the last 12 months alone, Tilhill Forestry submitted EWCO applications for over 490 hectares of new mixed woodlands.

Voluntary markets, such as the Woodland Carbon Code, are also providing many landowners with greater confidence in woodland options, enabling them to sell the carbon sequestered from their woodland planting project, thus allowing them to generate additional income long before income from timber may be realised.

There is increasing optimism about the direction of travel in England, and confidence that the woodland (and agroforestry) incentives in England offer most landowners viable options for diversifying their landholding. This also encourages the planting of more trees, which is the ultimate goal. Bedding in periods can be expected when new grant incentives are introduced; however, there are now more varied and increasingly blended options available that will suit landowners large and small and assist them in meeting their objectives.

Planting new woodlands and increasing the meagre 10% forest cover we have in England can also help to alleviate a myriad of issues that face our country; from water and air quality, flood mitigation, improving biodiversity, shelter for livestock, and supplying us with a sustainable domestic source of timber. The latter is particularly poignant, with demand for timber forecast to double by 2050, as we try to reduce our continued reliance on imports, which currently meet 80% of our requirements.

There really has never been a better time to plant new woodlands, and Tilhill Forestry are here to help you plant the right tree in the right place!