Correspondence

eAlert: 5 January 2023

Published 10 January 2023

Applies to England

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

Today (5 January 2023) read about revised grant payment rates, new flexibility to the EWCO capital payments cap and changes to EWCO Additional Contribution spatial targeting. Also check the new enforcement measures cracking down on illegal tree felling in England which came into force on 1 January 2023.

1. Revised grant payment rates  

Defra have announced today (05 January 2023), that the government are to pay more to farmers and land managers who protect and enhance the environment.

Speaking at the Oxford Farming Conference, Farming Minister Mark Spencer announced more money for farmers and land managers through both the Countryside Stewardship and the Sustainable Farming Incentive schemes. You can read the press release on GOV.UK: Government to pay more to farmers who protect and enhance the environment.
 
Minister Spencer also announced today capital and annual maintenance payments for the England Woodland Creation Offer (EWCO) and Tree Health Pilot (THP) will be updated, helping to incentivise farmers to incorporate more trees as a valuable natural resource on farms. Countryside Stewardship (CS) will receive increases to revenue and capital payment rates.

1.1 England Woodland Creation Offer (EWCO)

EWCO is the woodland creation offer that will become part of the enhanced version of Countryside Stewardship.  We are aiming for a seamless transition for existing agreement holders. We think it’s important to give this clarity to encourage tree planting now rather than land managers feeling they should ‘wait and see’ what the next offer looks like. 

• Standard Cost Item rates have been updated, a full list of the previous and revised rates is available to view in the Operations Note (link below)
• the payment cap for Standard Cost Items has been increased for EWCO by 20%, going from £8,500 per hectare to £10,200 per hectare
• maintenance payments have increased from £300 per hectare per year, to £350 per hectare per year

If you are planning to submit a new application:

We will publish new application forms with the updated rates and cap soon. Applicants will be given lead in time before use of the updated forms is mandatory. For the moment you can continue to submit application forms that you are currently using. 
 
If you have an application in progress:

The revised rates and cap will be applied to all applications currently in progress, irrespective of when they were submitted. We will apply the revised rates and cap, so applicants do not need to do anything. 
 
If you are an agreement holder:

The revised rates and cap will be applied to all claims submitted from 1 November 2022. It is not possible to apply the revised rates to capital work undertaken in the 21/22 planting season. We will contact all affected agreement holders (and agents, where relevant) by email. 
 
Maintenance payments:

The increase to maintenance payments will be applied to all payments made in 2023 onwards. 
Please see: Payment rate revisions for the England Woodland Creation Offer: operations note 64 for more details.

1.2 Tree Health Pilot

The Tree Health Pilot will also be updating its rates. Further information will be provided later this month. 
 
Please send enquiries to the relevant mailbox: ewcoenquiries@forestrycommission.gov.uk and THpilotenquiries@forestrycommission.gov.uk Countryside Stewardship

New payment rates have been introduced for CS capital items, with an average increase of 48%. You can read more about the increases to specific items in the press release on GOV.UK. If you have an application or an agreement that was applied for or started before the 5 January 2023 please contact the RPA to discuss your options if you wish to amend/withdraw your current agreement/application.  
 
You can read more about the changes in the CS blog: CS Grants 2023. 

2. New flexibility to the EWCO capital payments cap

Find our more.

Following feedback from stakeholders, the Forestry Commission will soon be introducing the option of a Flexible Voluntary Cap on standard costs items. This means that a landowner can voluntarily choose to reduce the EWCO payments for standard costs to a minimum of £2,500 per hectare.

This will provide land managers with more flexibility in choosing the amount of grant they would like to be paid and help land managers demonstrate additionality when accessing private finance through ecosystems service markets.  
 
When building a blended or private finance model for woodland creation or management you should discuss your approach with a financial adviser. 
 
Note that the Forestry Commission will continue to cap the maximum average payment for standard costs per hectare. 
 
Please send any queries to: ewcoenquiries@forestrycommission.gov.uk

3. Changes to EWCO Additional Contribution spatial targeting  

Read about the changes.

We are updating the Geographical Information Systems (GIS) layers used for targeting the EWCO Flood Risk, Riparian Buffers, and Water Quality Additional Contributions (AC). This will help us ensure our targeting is accurate and that the benefits are encouraged and provided in the right locations. 
What changes are we making?

• we have increased eligibility for the Flood Risk AC to include areas of surface water flooding. The targeting will also focus eligibility on Natural Flood Risk Management Priority Catchments where woodland creation will have the most impact. This AC will also be renamed Flood Risk Management
• we have updated the Keeping Rivers Cool layer which defines eligibility for the Riparian Buffers AC. This will ensure that riparian areas with the least shade are targeted, where riparian planting is considered the most beneficial 
• we have removed the ‘Low Priority’ area within the Water Quality AC targeting layer. This is to clarify that proposals outside of the ‘High Priority’ area are not eligible for the benefit unless support from the Local Flood Authority or Catchment Sensitive Farming Officer is provided. There are no changes to eligibility

These updated layers will soon be published on the Forestry Commission’s Map Browser and we’ll keep you posted once complete. 
 
Any applications in progress will remain eligible under either the current or new layers (whichever is in the applicant’s favour) until 31 March 2023. From 1 April 2023, all new applications must touch the new layers to be eligible for these ACs.  
 
Please send any queries to: ewcoenquiries@forestrycommission.gov.uk

4. New enforcement measures cracking down on illegal tree felling in England will come into force on 1 January 2023  

Unlimited fines and prison sentences for those felling trees without a licence to be introduced.

As part of the Environment Act, changes to the Forestry Act 1967 will deliver more proportionate, impactful and enduring enforcement outcomes. 

Key changes are:  

• felling trees without a felling licence, where one was required, will carry the penalty of an unlimited fine – up from the current limit of £2,500 or twice the value of the trees felled
• failure to comply with a Forestry Commission Enforcement Notice and a subsequent court-ordered Restocking Order (meaning any trees felled must be replanted) will put offenders at risk of imprisonment, in addition to an unlimited fine
• Restocking Notices and Enforcement Notices will be listed on the Local Land Charges Register, making them visible to prospective buyers of the land – potentially reducing the land’s value.

The full press release is available on GOV.UK: New powers to crack down on illegal tree felling.
 
To find out if more about tree felling and if you need to apply for a felling license, read our Tree Felling: overview guide.

5. Join our webinar on Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier wildlife supplements, focusing on Deer and Squirrels 

Book your place now!

We are offering a webinar on Monday 16 January 2:00-3:15pm for anyone involved in woodland and deer management, including: current and prospective grant applicants, agents, and landowners already involved in Countryside Stewardship or woodland creation.
It will cover the issues presented by deer and squirrel populations and introduce the incentives which have been developed to support their future management:

• Woodland Supplement WS1 – Deer Control and Management
• Woodland Supplement WS3 – Squirrel Control and Management

 The event will be held on Microsoft Teams with presentations from Deer Officers and there will be a Q&A at the end.
 
Book your free place on Eventbrite now
 
Monday 16 January
2:00-3:15pm

Book your place now

6. Update to restrictions in Phytophthora pluvialis demarcated areas  

Coming later this month.

Following continued monitoring and ongoing research findings, changes are being made to the timber restrictions in place within the existing demarcated areas. More details will be available on our Phytophthora pluvialis GOV.UK page later this month.

Subscribe to our email alerts and receive the latest news from the Forestry Commission directly to your inbox.