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A new maximum cap per hectare of £10,200 (averaged across the scheme) for standard costs – this indicates the intention is to fund at 100% as opposed to 80% or £6,800 available under Countryside Stewardship. The usual standard items are available, the rates (18th March 2024) are as follows:
| Item | Unit | Rate |
| Supply and plant tree | /tree | £1.72 |
| Supplement for use of individual tree shelters | /each | £2.43 |
| Ground preparation (scarification for natural colonisation) | /ha | £121.85 |
| Mulch mats | /each | £1.79 |
| Stone wall top wiring | /m | £5.54 |
| Dry stone wall repair | /m | £31.91 |
| Post and wire fencing | /m | £7.92 |
| Sheep netting | /m | £9.34 |
| Deer fencing | /m | £10.27 |
| Rabbit netting supplement | /m | £5.65 |
| Difficult site fencing supplement (eligible for stock and deer) | /m | £3.98 |
| Strike markers | /m | £0.93 |
| Badger gate | /gate | £61.81 |
| Metal field gate | /gate | £340.00 |
| Wooden field gate | /gate | £612.00 |
| Vehicle deer gate | /gate | £749.63 |
| Pedestrian/bridle gate or kissing gate | /gate | £447.60 |
| Pedestrian deer gate | /gate | £475.44 |
| Water gates | /gate | £532.80 |
| Deer exclosure plots | /each | £212.56 |
| Deer high seat | /each | £265.00 |
| Shooting mounds 3m wide x 2m high | /each | £250.00 |
| Chemical bracken control | /ha | £270.90 |
| Mechanical bracken control | /ha | £190.90 |
| Bracken control supplement for follow up treatment | /ha | £191.25 |
| Small leaky woody dam (1m – 2.99m) | /each | £461.39 |
| Large leaky woody dam (3m – 5m) | /each | £764.42 |
| Hard base for livestock drinkers | /each | £179.15 |
| Pasture pump and associated pipework | /each | £295.90 |
| Ram pump and associated pipework | /each | £1,861.00 |
| Livestock trough | /each | £152.92 |
| Pipework associated with livestock troughs | /m | £3.31 |
There are four types of payment available under EWCO:
- support for the capital items and activities to establish new woodland, with payments covering 100% of standard costs (the national average)
- ten years of annual Maintenance Payments to help establish the young trees once the capital works are complete
- a contribution towards the actual cost of installing infrastructure to either enable the current and future management of the woodland, or to provide recreational access
- optional Additional Contributions where the location of the woodland and its design will deliver public benefits. You can apply for multiple Additional Contributions on the same land where the woodland is in the right location and the design will provide multiple public benefits
Additional Contributions
Additional Contributions are optional and will be available where the woodland’s location and design will deliver public benefits. These are one-off payments that can be claimed once all the capital works are completed. Where appropriate, Additional Contributions can be combined so you can apply for multiple on the same land.
Additional Contributions – assigns a monetary payment related to provision of environmental, biodiversity and social benefit. You could receive an additional £12,700 in stackable payments when delivering wider benefits to society, nature recovery and the environment, to support your woodland creation scheme.
Additional Contributions include:
- Nature Recovery higher– up to £2,800 per hectare for woodlands that restore nature and species. NEW Nature Recovery premium: a payment option added to encourage the creation of highly biodiverse woodlands next to ancient woodlands, paid at £3,300 per hectare*. Nature Recovery lower – up to £1,100 per hectare for creating woodlands on low sensitivity land *
- Flood Risk management – £1,000 per hectare for woodlands that help reduce the risk of flooding
- Water Quality – £500 per hectare for woodlands that will improve water quality
- Riparian Buffers – £2,500 per hectare for woodlands along riverbanks that improve water habitat
- Close to settlements – up to £600 per hectare for creating woodlands close to where people live
- Recreational Access – up to £3,700 per hectare for providing access to woodlands for the public to enjoy
It is worth noting that claiming these supplements will not prevent applicants from generating income from timber or carbon in due course.
Landowners are being encouraged to seek additional private finance and registration under the Woodland Carbon Code is facilitated during the application process for the new grant, visit CarbonStore for help with registrations.
Maintenance payments
Annual maintenance payments are paid in the autumn to agreement holders who have completed their capital work. The rates is now £400 per hectare for 15 years.
For further information and friendly, expert advice, please contact us using the ‘Talk to us’ form at the bottom of this page.