01673 818443[NOW CLOSED] Your Woodland and Hedge Planting Grants: What will you apply for this year?
The window for mid-tier Countryside Stewardship Grant applications and capital grants for wood & hedge creation is now open, following recent grant news update.
Woodland Creation Schemes
You can apply for funding for woodland creation via Countryside Stewardship. If you're a farmer or land owner and are looking to enhance your landscape, creating new woodland gives you the added benefits of a reduction in flood risk and a boost to your environment's resistance to climate change. The local wildlife community will appreciate it, too.
To apply for a capital grant of up to £6,800 per hectare to create your new woodland, your initial application to Natural England will need to be submitted before 31 March 2016.
The application window for these submissions is now open. You'll need to keep an eye on the Government's webpage for precise details and how to apply.
Hedge Planting and Protection
We've reviewed the grants available for hedging and tree protection and summarised below what you need to know before you apply. Applications are now open (1 February 2016) for grants up to £5000 (minimum £1000) for farmers who plan to restore their hedges to protect the local wildlife and landscape character.
| New Hedges | Hedge Gapping | Tree Guard | |
| Application window | 1 Feb 2016 - 31 Mar 2016 for 2016/2017 planting | 1 Feb 2016 - 31 Mar 2016 for 2016/2017 planting | 1 Feb 2016 - 31 Mar 2016 for 2016/2017 planting |
| Grant payment | £11.60/m | £9.50/m | £4/guard |
| Where can I plant? | On sites of former hedgerows or where new hedging would extend or link existing hedgerow. Also sites where hedging would help reduce soil erosion. | On planted boundary lines of shrubs that are over 20 metres long and less than 5 metres wide between their woody stems at the base. | Protection for new planting - new hedges, hedge fills and woodland creation. |
| What do I need to do to apply? | A photo of and justification for each location for planting, plus an historic map or other records to evidence that the proposed location of the hedge planting is on an original footprint. | A photo of and justificiation for each gappy hedge. | A photo of and justificiation for each area of trees to be protected. |
| Why should I apply? | Successful planting = more new hedgerows with locally occurring native species. | Successful planting = continuous gap-free hedging. | Successful protection = minimal damage from grazing and wild animals. |
| When should I plant? | Nov-Mar | Nov-Mar | Nov-Mar |
| What should I choose? | Choose a single species to reflect existing planting. If no single species is dominant, choose a combination of Hawthorn, Blackthorn and Hazel to make up at least 70% of the mix. | A mix of at least 80% native shrubs. | A tree tube and a stake. |
| What size should I choose? | 2-year-old transplants at least 45cm to 60cm in height and of native species. | 2-year-old transplants at least 45cm to 60cm in height and of native species. | At least 1.5 metres high. |
| What should I do? | Plant along a 1.5 metre wide strip in a staggered double row 40cm apart with a minimum of 6 plants per metre. Make sure the soil is clear of weeds. | Plant along a 1.5 metre wide strip in a staggered double row 40cm apart with a minimum of 6 plants per metre. Make sure the soil is clear of weeds. | Use chicken wire to prevent animals from grazing or rubbing against the tree. Barbed wire can be fastened around the chicken wire to provide extra protection. |
| Then what? | Protect the hedge and control the weeds. Keep records of planting and weed control dates, what you planted and any invoices relating to the planting. Take geo-tagged photos of the finished planting. | Protect the hedge and control the weeds. Keep records of planting and weed control dates, what you planted and any invoices relating to the planting. Take geo-tagged photos of the finished planting. | Your stake and tube should allow access for pruning, mulching and clearing weeds around the base. |
| Application details | https://www.gov.uk/countryside-stewardship-grants/planting-new-hedges-bn11 | https://www.gov.uk/countryside-stewardship-grants/hedgerow-gapping-up-bn7 | https://www.gov.uk/countryside-stewardship-grants/tree-guard-tube-and-mesh-te6 |
To find the best hedgerow and boundary grant option for your planting plans this season, there is also a Grant Finder Tool to help you search and filter by the relevant criteria (funding level, land use, grant type).
