Rural Payments and Services

You can apply for either scare fencing or temporary electric fencing, as outlined below. These two items must be used to protect an existing or newly created habitat or landscape feature from grazing livestock, either long term or temporarily / seasonally.

This item is eligible where scare fencing is required in order to achieve the objectives of habitat enhancement or management where we agree that, without the fencing, ongoing grazing by livestock will prevent you from meeting the objectives of the Woodland Improvement Grant – Habitats and Species option.

Your submitted application and map should clearly show what type of fencing you are applying for and where they are located.

For scare fencing:

• you must erect the scare fence either on metal stanchions set in the dyke or running alongside one or both sides of the dyke
• the fence must consist of a minimum of two wires on wooden posts or metal stanchions at intervals of not more than six metres apart
• all fencing materials must be new

For temporary electric fencing:

• you must create an effective barrier against the category of livestock being controlled by using single wire, multiple wires, netting, electrified tape or electrified rope
• all fencing materials and equipment must be new

We require this item to be in place, meeting minimum specifications and in good order for a period of at least five years following the date you received your payment.

Technical Guide: Forest Fencing

Please make sure you abide by conditions set out in the Forestry Grant Scheme claim form and guidance.

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