Scottish Government

From 1 October 2012, we have introduced a monthly “clearing” process for all applications with total payments with a value of £20K or more. You can read the full details in the FCS Briefing Note 6 – SRDP Forestry Grants

Aim of this option

To create a single small scale mixed conifer and broadleaved woodland on a property

Rates of Support

These are given on the Woodland Creation page

Eligibility criteria

• You must own or lease the land.
• If you are a tenant or contractual licensee, you must discuss the proposed application with your landlord to make sure it does not break the conditions of your tenancy or licence, and submit a Landlord Notification Form with your Proposal. You cannot receive final approval from Scottish Ministers for your Proposal without this form.
• If you have a tenancy or a licence with less than five years to run you must complete a Landlord Declaration form and ask your Landlord or the landowner to sign the declaration on that form.
• If you are a tenant then you must ensure that you get your landlord's consent before you apply for grant to plant trees under any of the Woodland Creation options. You can download a copy of the Landlord's Consent form
• You must comply with the UK Forestry Standard.
• The minimum width is 15 metres
• The minimum size is 0.25 hectares and the maximum size is 10 hectares on the property you own
• You cannot use this option as part of a woodland design that is a mixture of other Woodland Creation options. The area to be planted must use only this option.

· Minimum Stocking densities at year 5, or when considered to be established, on the planted area (excluding mappable Open Ground):

• The woodland must comprise a minimum of 40% and a maximum of 65% mixed broadleaves, a minimum of 25% and a maximum of 40% conifers and a maximum of 20% Open Ground will be allowed for management purposes.
• There is a presumption against planting on peat >50 cm deep. Any such areas must be mapped as 'other land' and will not be eligible for grant aid.

Design criteria

You must use the following design criteria:

Intimate mixture

This mixture would be composed of groups of trees, which are too small and complex to be mapped. However, the groups of trees must be of sufficient size to ensure that both the conifer and broadleaf components will continue to be present throughout the silvicultural rotation. Groups of broadleaf species should number at least 16 trees.

Discrete mixture

This mixture would be composed of distinct areas of conifer and broadleaf species, which can be mapped. These distinct areas and any open ground must be delineated accurately on the contract map at a scale of 1:10,000.

Documents you must submit with your proposal

• Maps

You must provide the following maps:

• one that shows the woodland creation model boundary and fence types,
• one that shows individual species (including eligible open space).

For advice on how to mark up your Woodland Creation Map please use the Woodland Creation Mapping guidance For general mapping guidance and advice on standards and OS copyright please use the Mapping Guidance.

• Forestry Outcome Plan

The Forestry Outcome Plan will ask for certain information so that we can assess your proposal. This will include:

• How your proposal fits with the Regional Woodland Strategy, if there is one, and the UK Forestry Standard
• How your woodland will be designed, planted and maintained, your justification for any fencing you require and details of any contact with neighbours about the proposal
• If applying for Community Woodland Contribution, how the proposal will give the best opportunities for public recreation and how the area will be maintained
• You must give details of any contact you have had with neighbours who might be affected by the proposals.

Claims and Inspections

Initial planting may be inspected once we receive a claim for payment

We will check that:

• Planting accords with what was approved in the contract
• Any fencing matches the specifications
• 'Farmland Premium areas' are not being used for agricultural activities

If you claim maintenance payment we will inspect the area to ensure that the trees have been adequately maintained and are satisfactorily established* once we get your claim or at any time up to 10 years after planting.

Trees planted on non-agricultural land may be inspected after five years to ensure satisfactory establishment

* 'satisfactorily established' means that the trees must be present to the minimum stocking densities specified, healthy, and in a condition capable of continued growth given no further weeding but subject to normal ongoing maintenance operations such as protection from inappropriate grazing by wild or domestic animals.

Technical Guidance

More technical guidance may be available to help you with the option you have chosen. This technical guidance is available on the FCS Technical Guidance page

Additional Information

Link to page	Details
Community Woodland Contribution	Available if you plant at least 50% of the woodland within 1km of the homes of 2000 or more people. You must satisfy additional criteria to be eligible for this contribution.
Farmland Premium	Definitions and eligibility for Farmland Premium payments If you claim Single Farm Payment scheme on the woodland area then you cannot also claim Farmland Premium.
Planting in target areas	If you are planting trees in the Argyll Islands Woodland Partnership area or the Central Scotland Green Network area then increased rates will apply The higher rate of grant for capital items (initial planting, fences, and gates) is also payable for the three productive planting options on certain sites.
Short Rotation Forestry	Detailed requirements to grow Short Rotation Forestry for biomass
Fencing	Standard cost rates for fencing are listed here. Please note that there are different percentage contributions depending on whether you are in a Non Less Favoured Area (NLFA) or Less Favoured Area (LFA).

List of links to relevant technical guidance

The Environmental Impact Assessment (Forestry) (Scotland) Regulations 1999

Support for Juniper Conservation

Support for Short Rotation Forestry

Forestry Commission Bulletin 112, 'Creating New Native Woodlands' (ISBN 0 11 710320 9) This is available to order from Forestry Commission Publications.

Developing native woodland habitat networks

Joint Agency Fencing Guidance