Guidance

Guidance on woodland grant schemes and BPS: operations note 42

Updated 8 December 2022

This guidance was withdrawn on 2 January 2024

Cross Compliance rules ended on 31 December 2023.

Applies to England

• Publication for Northern Ireland
• Publication for Scotland
• Publication for Wales

1. Introduction

Land under a woodland grant, may be eligible to be used with entitlements for the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS). This guidance addresses the typical queries applicants and agreement holders have regarding BPS in relation to the following woodland schemes:

• Countryside Stewardship Woodland Creation ^{[footnote 1]}
• Countryside Stewardship Woodland Creation Maintenance Payments (WD1)
• Countryside Stewardship Woodland Improvement
• Countryside Stewardship Woodland Management Plans
• Countryside Stewardship Woodland Tree Health
• Woodland Carbon Fund ^{[footnote 2]}
• Woodland Creation Planning Grant
• HS2 Woodland Fund
• any NCF woodland creation scheme, including the England Woodland Creation Offer (EWCO) and agreements awarded under the Green Recovery Challenge Fund (GRCF)

This guidance does not provide a full overview of the Basic Payment Scheme and only addresses common customer enquiries in relation to the above schemes. Customers are advised to read the Rural Payments Agency’s BPS guidance, for the relevant claim year, which is available on GOV.UK.

2. Countryside Stewardship Woodland Creation and BPS

2.1 CS Woodland Creation agreement

From the start of the CS Woodland Creation agreement the land is considered non-agricultural, regardless of when the trees are planted as this is the point at which land is set aside for non-agricultural use. Agreement holders must submit an RLE1 form to notify the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) and register the land as a permanent non-agricultural area with an effective date of 1 January the following year. The agreement holder can continue to graze or crop the land until trees are planted, however carrying out agricultural activity does not result in agricultural status on the land.

Following the final capital payment, the land that was subject to a CS Woodland Creation agreement cannot be used for any agricultural activity (including grazing) for a minimum of 5 years from the agreement end date – this is the obligation period. During this 5 year obligation period, the land may be eligible to claim BPS. After the obligation period the woodland becomes a permanent land use change and the land is no longer eligible for BPS.

2.2 Can I continue to claim BPS on land in a CS Woodland Creation agreement?

Agreement holders can continue to claim BPS on land which is in a CS Woodland Creation agreement provided the land meets certain eligibility requirements. Non-agricultural land is considered eligible for BPS on the condition that both of these criteria are met:

• the non-agricultural land was used with entitlements to claim under the Single Payments Scheme in 2008
• the land is currently in a Countryside Stewardship Woodland Creation agreement (including the 5-year period of obligation (also known as the “durability period”)

Agreement holders who claim BPS must annually declare all of the agricultural land and non-agricultural land included in an agri environment scheme or the National Forest Changing Landscape Scheme on their holding. Non-agricultural land which does not meet the eligibility criteria outlined above is not eligible for BPS, it must still be entered into your BPS claim as it is subject to cross compliance rules.

Whilst the CS Woodland Creation agreement is in the 5-year obligation period this second BPS criteria is still met. If, however, the obligation period ends part way through a calendar year, the land will not be eligible for BPS in that year as it does not meet BPS rules for the entire scheme year. After the obligation period, the woodland becomes a permanent land use and is no longer eligible for BPS.

2.3 Agreement Holders: what you are required to do

Provided they are eligible, agreement holders are required to complete two key processes once their CS Woodland agreement starts:

1. Agreement holders must notify the RPA by registering the land in the agreement as non-agricultural and updating the land cover to woodland. This is done by returning a completed RLE1 form and supporting sketch map to the RPA.
2. Agreement holders who claim BPS must complete and return a BPS claim to the RPA by the communicated deadline using the appropriate land use code.

These steps are explained in more detail below and Annex 1 illustrates the process for CS Woodland Creation and CS Woodland Creation Maintenance:

1 - Update the land cover to woodland (applies to all Woodland agreement holders where the land must be registered to receive payment)

The RPA uses digital maps to record land parcel boundaries and features for land which will be claimed on in a Countryside Stewardship scheme or, where required, a domestic woodland scheme. To claim these payments, agreement holders must check that the digital maps correctly register all of the non-agricultural land parcels on the holding which are under a scheme. Please refer to the RPA’s RLE1 guidance for more information on registering land and making mapping changes.

The land in a woodland agreement needs to be mapped by the RPA as non-agricultural land (please note sections 6-8 for further details on domestic woodland schemes). To do this, agreement holders must submit an RLE1 form with a supporting sketch map to the RPA following the guidance set out in ‘Part D: Add a permanent non-agricultural area or feature’ of the RLE1 guidance. Agreement holders should note the current land cover as woodland by stating the land use code WO12 on the sketch map submitted.

If the agreement start date falls after the BPS claim deadline of a given year, the date of establishment for the land use change to woodland outlined in the RLE1 form should be 1 January of the following year. If the agreement start date falls before the BPS claim deadline, the date of establishment is the agreement start date.

If only part of a parcel is included in a woodland application and/or agreement, the parcel must be split using marker posts or stones to identify the boundary on the ground (this applies to CS Woodland Creation despite the trees not being planted at the time). Please see ‘Part D: Split land parcels’ of the RLE1 guidance for more information. This boundary should be maintained until the woodland is established. When the woodland is established this becomes a permanent boundary and the marker stones or posts are no longer required (please refer to page 11 of the RLE1 guidance for further details).

2 - Submit a BPS claim using the appropriate land use code (applies to woodland scheme agreement holders who claim BPS)

Agreement holders who claim BPS must include the land in a woodland agreement on the BPS claim. Agreement holders should use one of two land use codes in their BPS claim: WO12 or RD01. As outlined in Table 1, if the land is not eligible to claim BPS the correct code to use is WO12. If the land is eligible to claim BPS, the correct code to use is RD01.

It is essential that the BPS claim reflects the actual land use at the time of claim. RD01 can be used for all non-agricultural land which is at the applicant’s disposal and remains eligible for BPS because it is in a suitable woodland creation scheme and it was used with entitlements to claim SPS in 2008. The land cover must be updated to woodland using an RLE1 form and sketch map (step 1) prior to submitting a BPS claim in order to use this code. Please note, the use of RD01 on a BPS claim must align with the date of establishment stated in the RLE1 form (step 1).

If BPS is claimed using the code RD01 where the land cover has not been updated to woodland, there is a risk of land use cross-check failure with the Rural Payments Agency which could result in a penalty against the BPS claimant.

Table 1 - Appropriate land use code for BPS claim

Land Use Code	Land Cover required	Eligible to receive BPS?	When to use this Code
WO12 – Woodland	Woodland	No	If the land does not meet the eligibility criteria for claiming BPS on non-agricultural land, this is the appropriate code to use in the area of land where a Woodland Creation and Woodland Creation Maintenance Payments agreement applies. BPS customers are required to declare all of the agricultural land and non-agricultural land included in an agri environment scheme on their holding, even though it is not being used to claim BPS.
RD01 – Non-agricultural BPS eligible	Woodland	Yes	If the land does meet the eligibility criteria for claiming BPS on non-agricultural land, this is the appropriate code to use for the area of land where Woodland Creation grant and Woodland Creation Maintenance agreement applies. Using this code allows you to continue to claim BPS on non-agricultural land, provided the land cover has been updated to woodland. This code can only be used for the duration of the Countryside Stewardship agreement. Following which, BPS applicants should use the code WO12 and are no longer eligible to claim BPS on this non-agricultural area.

3. Countryside Stewardship Woodland Creation Maintenance Payments and BPS

3.1 When to apply for Woodland Creation Maintenance Payments (WD1)

CS Woodland Creation Maintenance Payments (WD1) is a multi-annual option available in the Higher Tier of the Countryside Stewardship scheme. Payments are made annually for a period of 10 years to cover the cost of maintaining the newly planted woodland resulting from the CS Woodland Creation agreement.

Applications prior to 9 February 2021: Applicants are invited to apply for CS Woodland Creation & Maintenance Payments once the CS Woodland Creation agreement has been completed, the objectives have been met and the final claim has been paid.

Applications post 9 February 2021: Once final woodland creation claim has been paid, applicants will be sent a letter to confirm if they wish to opt in or out of the Woodland Creation & Maintenance Payments (WD1). If they wish to opt in to the WD1 payments, they must complete the letter’s accompanying annex and return it to the RPA.

Applicants are not eligible to apply for CS Woodland Creation Maintenance Payments (WD1) if:

• the final claim relating to the CS Woodland Creation agreement has not been submitted nor the agreement objectives met
• the land is owned by public authorities; this includes land owned by the state, the Crown, county councils, district councils and local authorities

3.2 WD1 and land cover: what you are required to do

Similar to CS Woodland Creation, all WD1 applicants must tell the RPA about permanent non-agricultural areas by submitting an RLE1 form and supporting sketch map stating the land cover as woodland using the land use code WO12 (refer to ‘Part D: Add a permanent non-agricultural area or feature’ in the RLE1 guidance. Annex 1 below illustrates the process of moving from a CS Woodland Creation grant to a CS Woodland Creation Maintenance Payments grant and claiming BPS. Where the land is not registered as non- agricultural woodland during the CS Woodland Creation agreement (see step 1 under ‘CS Woodland Creation Agreement Holders: what you are required to do’, this must happen prior to application for CS Woodland Creation Maintenance Payments.

3.3 WD1 and BPS

Agreement holders can continue to claim BPS on land which is in a CS Woodland Creation Maintenance Payments agreement provided the land meets certain eligibility requirements. Non-agricultural land is considered eligible for BPS on the condition that both of the following criteria are met:

• the non-agricultural land was used with entitlements to claim under the Single Payments Scheme in 2008
• the land is currently in a Countryside Woodland Creation Maintenance agreement

Agreement holders who claim BPS must annually declare all of the agricultural land and non-agricultural land included in an agri environment scheme, domestic woodland scheme or the National Forest Changing Landscape Scheme on their holding. Non-agricultural land which does not meet the eligibility criteria outlined above is not eligible for BPS, although it must still be entered into your BPS claim as it is subject to cross compliance rules.

Provided the land is eligible for BPS, WD1 agreement holders can continue to claim BPS throughout the 10 years of the agreement using the land use code RD01 on the BPS claim.

The BPS claim must reflect the actual land use at the time of claiming. Therefore, if applicants have not updated the land cover to woodland prior to the BPS claim deadline they are unable to use the code RD01 (please see Table 1 for more information). In this situation, the applicant must notify the RPA of this permanent non-agricultural area by submitting an RLE1 form and supporting sketch map (please see step 1 under ‘CS Woodland Creation Agreement Holders: what you are required to do’). The date of establishment for the change to woodland land cover outlined in the RLE1 form should be 1 January of the following year. If the land use is updated prior to the BPS claim deadline, the date of establishment is the agreement start date.

There is no obligation period for CS Woodland Creation Maintenance Payments. Following the 10-year agreement period, the woodland becomes a permanent land use code and is no longer eligible to claim BPS.

There may be exceptional circumstances in which animals (including pigs, cattle and sheep) are permitted to graze for time limited periods in agreed areas of new or existing woodlands. This must be agreed in writing with the FC Woodland Officer and the FC National Office team. The applicant will need to be clear regarding the nature of the proposal, how it will benefit the woodland and how their actions comply with UKFS guidelines. The applicant will also need to consider in advance how their proposals may affect their BPS payments.

Note: Grazing any agreement land, even with pre-agreement or consent from FC will not result in BPS eligibility on these areas, unless they meet the criteria above.

4. Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier Woodland Improvement and BPS

4.1 Woodland

Woodland is defined as: Woodland is defined as an area of woodland preventing agricultural activity includes areas where the density of the trees prevents the growth of vegetative under-storey needed to support agricultural activity. See Rural payments: land use codes 2022.

To be eligible to enter into the Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier Woodland Improvement grant, the land use code applied to the land must be woodland (WO12).

Agricultural land parcels containing trees may be BPS eligible parcels if they meet the criteria laid out in the BPS handbook: please refer to the ‘Land’ section of the BPS: rules for 2022 guidance, in particular ‘Trees’, within ‘Factors which can affect whether land is eligible or not’. In this case, they will be coded PG01 or may have an arable land code. However, these areas cannot enter into a Woodland Improvement agreement until the land cover is changed to woodland using an RLE1 form and sketch map. This would change the land cover to a non-agricultural use and subsequently will no longer be eligible for BPS payments.

Carrying out an agricultural activity, such as grazing, does not make a woodland parcel eligible for BPS and many of these areas are currently incorrectly declared by BPS claimants as permanent grassland (PG01).

4.2 Short rotation coppice

Short rotation coppice (SRC) is defined as including areas planted with tree species that consist of woody, perennial crops, the rootstock or stools remaining in the ground after harvesting, with new shoots emerging in the following season. The initial tree planting must have been planted after the year 2000: see Rural payments: land use codes 2022

Under the Basic Payments, scheme SRC species can be considered permanent crops and may be eligible for BPS using the land use code SR01. For more information on eligible SRC species, please follow the link provided above.

BPS applicants should note that not all areas of SRC can be used to claim BPS.

Areas declared as SRC are not eligible to apply for the CS Woodland Improvement grant as only areas with woodland land cover are eligible to apply. For more information on what land is eligible for a CS Higher Tier agreement, please read section 3 ‘Who can apply and what land is eligible’ of the Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier grant manual.

5. Countryside Stewardship Woodland Tree Health, Woodland Management Plans and BPS

The Countryside Stewardship Woodland Tree Health and Woodland Management Plan grants are not considered to meet BPS rules as eligible Rural Development Programme woodland schemes. Therefore, applicants cannot apply for BPS under these agreements.

However, when applying for these Countryside Stewardship schemes, applicants should ensure that the land cover is woodland. To claim payment under the CS scheme, the digital maps used by the RPA must correctly register all permanent non-agricultural features or areas. To do this agreement holders must submit an RLE1 form and supporting sketch map to the RPA following the guidance set out in ‘Part D: Add a permanent non-agricultural area or feature’ of the RLE1 guidance.

Established woodland is considered to be a permanent boundary therefore, applicants must ensure that the parcel boundary is appropriate. Should any changes be required to parcel boundaries, applicants should submit an RLE1 form to the Rural Payments Agency.

6. Woodland Carbon Fund and BPS

Applicants to the Woodland Carbon Fund (WCF) were not required to have registered the land in their application or to supply land parcel details as part of the application process. This guidance document is not relevant to any WCF agreement holders whose land is not registered and are not BPS claimants.

BPS claimants who entered a WCF agreement may be eligible to retain their BPS payments on the land in the WCF agreement for the agreement and obligation period agreed with the Forestry Commission (i.e., ordinarily for 5 years from the date of final payment), on the condition that both of these criteria are met:

• the non-agricultural land was used with entitlements to claim under the Single Payments Scheme in 2008
• the land is currently in a Woodland Carbon Fund agreement (including the 5-year period of obligation)

WCF agreement holders who wish to claim BPS should complete two key processes:

1. Notify the RPA by registering the land in the agreement as non-agricultural and update the land cover too woodland. This is done by returning a completed RLE1 form and supporting sketch map to the RPA. This applies to all WCF agreement holders who wish to continue claiming BPS;

2. WCF agreement holders who claim BPS must complete and return a BPS claim to the RPA by the communicated deadline using the appropriate land use code.

Please refer to the section on: Agreement Holders: what you are required to do, for more details the above steps (the process applies to all eligible woodland agreement holders). This process is summarised for WCF agreement holders in Annex 2.

WCF agreement holders should note that the land is considered non-agricultural from when the agreement starts, regardless of when the trees are planted. The agreement holder can continue to graze or crop the land until trees are planted however, carrying out agricultural activity does not result in agricultural status on the land.

The effective date the land parcel changes to a permanent non-agricultural area must reflect the agreement start date. If the agreement started:

• after the BPS claim deadline of a given year, the date of the land use changed to woodland provided in the RLE1 form should be 1 January of the following year

• before the BPS claim deadline, the date of the land use changed to woodland provided in the RLE1 form is the agreement start date

After the obligation period the woodland becomes a permanent land use change and the land is no longer eligible for BPS.

7. Woodland Creation Planning Grant and BPS

WCPG funds the work required to produce a UKFS-compliant woodland creation design proposal for new woodlands at least five hectares in area. As such, the land in WCPG applications must not be woodland.

This grant is for the creation of a plan to assess and support further land use change. It does not involve management activities on the land and as a result there is no requirement for applicants to register the land in their application, or to supply land parcel details as part of their application. Consequently there is no requirement to check or amend land cover, parcel boundaries, features or areas for WCPG.

If the WCPG applicant claims BPS, the WCPG agreement holder may continue to claim BPS without any required action to register the land as a non-agricultural area since WCPG agreements do not require any change in land use or boundaries. However, should a WCPG agreement holder wish to use the woodland creation plan the WCPG to support an application to the woodland creation scheme under the Nature for Climate Fund (NCF) or HS2 Woodland Fund, and wishes to continue claiming BPS, an RLE1 form must be submitted to update the land to woodland.

8. HS2 Woodland Fund and BPS

Applicants to the HS2 Woodland Fund (HS2WF) are not required to have registered the land in their application or to supply land parcel details as part of the application process. This guidance document is not relevant to HS2WF applicants and agreement holders whose land is not registered and are not BPS claimants.

HS2WF has two components:

• native woodland creation
• plantations on Ancient Woodland Sites (PAWS) restoration

HS2WF agreements can be for either, or for both, of the above components. Only one component (or, “work type”) can be applied on a given piece of land. However, both work types may be present in a single land parcel (if registered), and work may be limited to part of a land parcel rather than covering an entire parcel (if registered).

8.1 HS2 Woodland Fund native woodland creation and BPS

Land entered into an HS2WF native woodland creation agreement may be eligible to be used with entitlements to claim BPS for the agreement and obligation period on the condition that both of these criteria are met:

• the non-agricultural land was used with entitlements to claim under the Single Payments Scheme in 2008
• the land is currently in a HS2WF native woodland creation agreement (including the period of obligation)

The obligation period for HS2WF native woodland creation agreements depends on whether or not the agreement includes a maintenance component.

HS2WF native woodland creation agreement holders who wish to claim BPS should complete two key processes:

1. Notify the RPA by registering the land in the agreement as non-agricultural and update the land cover to woodland. This is done by returning a completed RLE1 form and supporting sketch map to the RPA. This applies to all HS2WF native woodland creation agreement holders who wish to continue claiming BPS.

2. HS2WF native woodland creation agreement holders who claim BPS must complete and return a BPS claim to the RPA by the communicated deadline using the appropriate land use code.

Please refer to Agreement holders section for more details the above steps (the process applies to all eligible woodland agreement holders). This process is summarised for HS2WF native woodland creation agreement holders in Annex 2.

HS2WF woodland creation agreement holders should note that, from the commencement of the agreement the land is considered non-agricultural, regardless of when the trees are planted. The agreement holder can continue to graze or crop the land until trees are planted however, carrying out agricultural activity does not result in agricultural status on the land. The date of establishment of the change to a permanent non-agricultural area must reflect this. If the agreement start falls after the BPS claim deadline of a given year, the date of establishment for the land use change to woodland outlined in the RLE1 form should be 1 January of the following year. If the agreement start date falls before the BPS claim deadline, the date of establishment is the agreement start date. After the obligation period the woodland becomes a permanent land use change and the land is no longer eligible for BPS.

8.2 HS2WF PAWS restoration and BPS

Land in an HS2WF agreement which includes PAWS restoration work only, and does not include any native woodland creation, does not meet the BPS rules as eligible woodland schemes. This is because the land eligible for HS2WF PAWS restoration grant support must be established woodland. Therefore, applicants cannot apply for BPS on land under this agreement.

9. Nature for Climate Fund woodland creation schemes, or the Green Recovery Challenge Fund, and BPS

This applies to applicants to any woodland creation scheme under the Nature for Climate Fund (NCF) such as the England Woodland Creation Offer (EWCO) or the Green Recovery Challenge Fund (GRCF). Please note that while land owned by a public body may be eligible for a NCF woodland creation scheme this land is only eligible for BPS if the land is managed by a private body or a local authority.

9.1 Entering into a NfC woodland creation scheme agreement

Land under a woodland creation agreement under the NCF is considered non-agricultural from the date the agreement starts. This is regardless of when the trees are planted because is the point at which land is set aside for non-agricultural use. Agreement holders must submit an RLE1 form to notify the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) and register the land as a permanent non-agricultural area with an effective date of 1 January the following year. The agreement holder can continue to graze or crop the land until trees are planted however, carrying out agricultural activity does not result in agricultural status on the land.

Land that is subject to an NCF woodland creation scheme agreement cannot be used for any agricultural activity (including grazing) for the duration of any obligation period the agreement applies on the land. In the case of EWCO the obligation period differs from the maintenance funding period:

• the maintenance funding period – this is 10 years from the end of the Capital Funding Date
• the obligation period – this will be 15 years from the end of Capital Funding Date

During the 10-year maintenance funding period, the land is still considered to be under the NCF agreement and may be eligible to claim BPS, for as long as BPS is in place.

BPS may not be claimed in the final 5 years of the obligation period, i.e., after the maintenance funding period has ended. After the maintenance funding period the woodland becomes a permanent land use change and the land is no longer eligible for BPS.

If the agreement holder has chosen to opt out of the maintenance payments then they can claim BPS for the first 10 years of the obligation period.

9.2 Can I continue to claim BPS on land in a NfC woodland creation agreement?

Agreement holders can continue to claim BPS on land which is in an agreement under a NCF woodland creation scheme for up to 10 years following the end of the Capital Funding Date, provided the land meets certain eligibility requirements. Non- agricultural land is considered eligible for BPS on the condition that both of these criteria are met:

• the non-agricultural land was used with entitlements to claim under the Single Payments Scheme in 2008
• the land is currently in a NCF woodland creation (including any agreement under the GRCF) agreement (including any agreement in its obligation period)

Agreement holders who claim BPS must annually declare all of the agricultural land and non-agricultural land included in NCF woodland creation agreements on their holding. Non-agricultural land which does not meet the eligibility criteria outlined above is not eligible for BPS, it must still be entered into your BPS claim because it is subject to cross compliance rules.

Whilst the NCF woodland creation agreement is in its maintenance funding period this second BPS criteria is still met. If, however, the maintenance funding period ends part way through a calendar year, the land will not be eligible for BPS in that year because it does not meet BPS rules for the entire scheme year. After the maintenance funding period, the woodland becomes a permanent land use and is no longer eligible for BPS.

9.3 Agreement Holders: what you are required to do

Provided they are eligible, agreement holders are required to complete the two key processes – set out in section 2.3 once their NCF woodland creation agreement commences or a GRCF grant is awarded.

10. Annex 1 - Countryside Stewardship Woodland Creation, Woodland Creation and Maintenance Payments and BPS

WCG - Woodland Creation capital agreements commence monthly on the 1st of the month due to the rolling window.

WCG - Using an RLE1 form, the agreement holder updates the land cover to woodland with 1 January of the following year stated as the date of establishment.

WCG - BPS applicants that are eligible to claim BPS when in a WCG agreement must complete and submit a BPS application form to the RPA in May 2022. Applicants should use the land use code supported by the correct date of establishment: see section 2.3 above.

WCG - Woodland Creation agreement holders can continue to claim BPS throughout the period of obligation, provided the land meets the BPS eligibility criteria. Following this period of five years, the woodland becomes a permanent land use change.

WCG - The Agreement holder completes the Woodland Creation planting and must submit their final claim within two years and 3 months of their agreement start date.

WD1 - The [WCG] claim needs to be submitted and paid to enable an agreement for WD1 payment to commence on 1 January the following year. Once the final [WCG] claim has been paid you will be sent either an invitation to apply (pre 9 February 2021) or an option letter (post 9 February 2021).

WC&M - Woodland Creation & Maintenance agreement holders can continue to claim BPS for a period of 10 years, provided the land meets the BPS eligibility conditions. The land must not be used for any agricultural activity, unless permission has been granted by the Woodland Officer, and must continue to be managed according to the agreement objectives throughout the payment period.

11. Annex 2 - HS2 Woodland Fund, Woodland Carbon Fund and BPS

WCF/HS2WF - WCF/HS2WF (native woodland creation) agreement commences, for example 1 February 2022 (there are no application windows for WCF or HS2WF).

WCF/HS2WF - Using an RLE1 form, the agreement holder updates the land cover to woodland using the appropriate date for the land cover change, for example an agreement starting on 1 February 2022 would use this as the date of establishment.

WCF/HS2WF - BPS applicants that are eligible to claim BPS when in a WCF/HS2WF (native woodland creation) agreement must complete and submit a BPS application form to the RPA in May 2022. Applicants should use the land use code RD01 supported, in this example, by a 1 February 2022 date of establishment. Please see GOV.UK for further guidance on BPS 2022.

WCG/HS2WF - WCF/HS2WF (native woodland creation - without maintenance) agreement holders can continue to claim BPS throughout the obligation period, provided the land meets the BPS eligibility conditions. Following this period of five years, the woodland becomes a permanent land use change.

WCF/HS2WF - The WCF/HS2WF (native woodland creation - without maintenance) agreement holder completes the agreement obligation period and changes the land use code to WO12; they are no longer eligible to claim BPS payments on the land in their WCF/HS2WF (native woodland creation) agreement.

HS2WF - Provided they are eligible and the land cover is woodland, HS2WF (native woodland creation) agreement holders whose agreement includes maintenance can continue to claim BPS for a period of ten years using the code RD01. The land must not be used for any agricultural activity, including grazing, and must continue to be managed according to the agreement objectives throughout the payment period. As above, after the final maintenance payment, the agreement holder should change the land use code to WO12 and are no longer eligible to claim BPS on the land in their HS2WF agreement.

12. Sources of further advice

The Forestry Commission’s website contains all the information you need to apply for grant support. Alternatively, you can request this information from your local Forestry Commission office.

GOV.UK pages of further advice:

• Countryside Stewardship Woodland Support
• RLE1 Form and Guidance
• Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) 2022
• Rural payments: land use codes 2022

GOV.UK pages of further advice:

• Countryside Stewardship Woodland Support Page
• RLE1 Form and Guidance
• Basic Payment Scheme (BPS)

1. The Countryside Stewardship Woodland Creation Grant and Woodland Carbon Fund have now been closed for new applications and are superseded by the England Woodland Creation Offer (EWCO). ↩

2. If you have an existing Woodland Creation Grant or Woodland Creation and Maintenance agreement, existing terms and conditions apply whereby following the submission of the final creation claim, you will be invited to apply for the maintenance (WD1) element of the scheme. ↩