Woodland Improvement Grant – Woods In and Around Towns
This is an old version of the page
This is an old version of the page
Date published: 30 March, 2015
Date published: 16 July, 2015
Aim
This option aims to provide support for operations that will contribute to the sustainable management of urban woodlands and provide a range of public benefits.
Urban woodlands are those located within one kilometre of settlements with a population of over 2000 people.
Support will be provided for applications that can:
- bring neglected woodlands into management
- develop opportunities to use and enjoy existing and newly created woodlands
- enhance woodland sites supported under previous programmes
Grant support
This grant can be applied to existing woodland.
A set list of standard costs for capital works and items are eligible for funding under this Woodland Improvement Grant. See the Operations section below for more details. You must complete the agreed work satisfactorily before submitting your claim.
You can also apply for the annual management grant Sustainable Management of Forest – Public Access – Woods In and Around Towns if you need help with the costs of maintenance. This annual management grant will help to cover the additional costs of litter picking, sign and path maintenance, and tree safety surveys.
Application eligibility criteria
Please check that you are eligible to apply for Forestry Grant Scheme funding before you begin your application.
Before applying for this option you must have an approved Woods In and Around Towns – Urban Woodland Management Plan that covers all the woodland areas to be included in your application.
The Woods In and Around Towns – Urban Woodland Management Plan is eligible for funding under the Woodland Improvement Grant – Planning – Woods In and Around Towns – Urban Woodland Management Plan grant.
We may be able to accept pre-existing management plans if these comply with the Woods In and Around Towns – Urban Woodland Management Plan requirements. If you have an existing plan that you think complies with all these requirements, you must get our agreement and we must approve your plan before you can submit an application under this Woodland Improvement Grant option.
If your application under this option relates to a proposed woodland creation application you must still have an approved Urban Woodland Management Plan, produced using the Forestry Commission Scotland template. You should only complete those sections of the template that are relevant to a newly created woodland. This plan cannot be funded under the Woodland Improvement Grant – Planning – Woods in and Around Towns – Urban Woodland Management Plan Grant. You will only receive grant payments for activities and / or items once these areas have been planted.
Please see the Supporting information section below for the information you need to supply us when applying for this option. You must use the appropriate standard template to give this information.
At least half of the woodland must be within the Woods In and Around Towns area. Urban woodlands are those within one kilometre of a town with a population of 2000 or more people.
The minimum block size of each individual woodland that we will accept for Woods In and Around Towns funding is 0.5 hectares.
The Woods In and Around Towns area is defined by Forestry Commission Scotland and is available as a layer on the Forestry Commission Scotland map viewer. If you have any doubt about whether your woodland meets this criterion, contact your local Forestry Commission Scotland woodland officer.
With the exception of proposed new woodland sites, to be eligible for grant support the woodland must appear on the National Forest Inventory (with the exception of the National Forest Inventory categories of 'cloud' and 'uncertain'). The National Forest Inventory is available as a layer on the Forestry Commission Scotland map viewer.
There must be free and unhindered public access to all areas included within the application. Areas such as school grounds and golf courses are not eligible unless there is free and unhindered public access to all areas.
You must achieve the standards of management set out in the Woods In and Around Towns – Woodland Management Standard. All of your proposed capital work must comply with the UK Forestry Standard.
If thinning or felling operations are proposed within your application you must submit a separate felling licence application. Your felling licence application must correspond with the information provided in your management plan.
You must demonstrate that you are fully committed to delivering the outcomes identified in the approved Urban Woodland Management Plan. If your application only partly delivers against the plan’s objectives, it is unlikely to be approved.
Operations
Capital grant operations that can be applied for under this Woodland Improvement Grant are listed in the table below. Clearance and woodland management operations are not eligible for those parts of your application that relate to a proposed or young (less than 10 years) woodland. You will only receive grant payments for activities and / or items once proposed woodland areas have been planted.
You must carry out the work to the standard outlined in the specification for each item. To view the specification, click on each item in the list below. You must ensure that the completed work is maintained and functional during your contract.
Supporting information
To help us assess your application, you must provide us with supporting information:
- your Woods In and Around Towns – Urban Woodland Management Plan or other Forestry Commission Scotland approved pre-existing plan
- information about the proposed operations using theWoods In and Around Towns Operational Plan template
- a map showing the location of the proposed capital items
Selection criteria
To make sure we achieve the best value for money and to ensure we meet the Forestry Grant Scheme’s objectives, we will assess each application using scoring criteria. These criteria will be specific to this option.
We will set a minimum score that an application for any particular option must achieve to be considered for approval. We will make details available before the launch of the Forestry Grant Scheme.
How to claim
You should only submit a capital claim once you have satisfactorily completed the work.
Refer to the capital item’s minimum specification guidance to find out what supporting documentation and maps you need to supply with your capital claim.
We will be inspecting capital items to ensure that you have carried out the work to the correct minimum specification.