FG12: Wooden field gate
Find out about eligibility and requirements for the wooden field gate item.
How much will be paid
£489.90 per gate.
Where to use this item
It is available for Countryside Stewardship Mid Tier, Higher Tier and Capital Grants but only along with a management option or boundary restoration item in the same application on the same parcel.
Where this item cannot be used
- Where gate posts are placed on historic or archaeological features identified in the Historic Environment Farm Environment Records (HEFER)
- To replace an existing gate or wooden wings previously funded with a grant
How this item will benefit the environment
Wooden gates help stock management, or stop livestock from getting into an area where they may cause damage, such as a historic or archaeological feature.
Wooden wings for gates stockproofs ditch crossing points by linking the gate to the ditch edge.
Requirements
Wooden field gate
You must:
- construct the gate out of timber in a style that is traditional to the local area
- construct the gate to the specifications below if there is no local gate style:
| Section | Gates up to 3 metres (m) wide | Gates 3m and over wide |
|---|---|---|
| Top rail | 100 millimetres (mm) by 75mm | 125mm by 75mm |
| Top rail tapered to | 75mm by 75mm | 75mm by 75mm |
| Under rails | 75mm by 25mm | 75mm by 25mm |
| Braces | 75mm by 25mm | 75mm by 25mm |
| Hanging stile | 100mm by 75mm | 125mm by 75mm |
| Shutting stile | 75mm by 75mm | 75mm by 75mm |
- hang and clap all styles of gate separately from an adjoining fence line – do not use the hanging post as an end strainer
- either set gate posts at least 900mm into the ground and surround with concrete at least:
- 450mm by 450mm wide
- 600mm deep, or
- erect gate posts without concrete surrounds and set at least 1.1m below the ground surface, with the soil compacted around the posts in 150mm layers
If you use in combination with the item FG9, the gate (FG12) must be deer proof.
Wooden wings for gates
You must:
- install wings on both sides of the gate
- make sure each wing consists of at least 3 wooden rails fixed between 2 posts
- not fix the rails to the hanging post of the gate
- make sure the rails are at least 38mm by 87mm
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make sure the posts are at least:
- 100mm diameter half round
- 1.8m long
- sunk 0.7 m into the ground
Keeping records
You must keep the following records and supply them with your payment claim:
- photographs of the completed work
You must keep the following records and supply them on request:
- any consents or permissions connected with the work
- receipted invoices or bank statements where a receipted invoice is unavailable
- photographs of the proposed location for the gates or wings before work starts
Please see the record keeping and inspection requirements as set out in the relevant Mid Tier, Higher Tier or Capital Grants guidance for more detail. You can find the latest guidance at Countryside Stewardship: get funding to protect and improve the land you manage.
Advice and suggestions for how to carry out this item
The following advice is helpful, but they are not requirements for this item.
Constructing the gates
Frame the gates soundly and use wooden materials. All gates should match in height with the adjoining fence and have the appropriate fittings for their operation.
If you need to widen a gateway during wall or bank restoration, or to create a new opening you may need planning permission. Consult the Local Planning Authority or the National Park Authority about hedgerow regulations and the permission needed.
Using wooden wings
You can use wooden wings to extend the stockproof width of the gate where this is necessary, for example where a gateway is over a culvert or adjacent to a ditch or dyke.
These are only likely to be necessary where they are already a feature of the landscape, such as on grazing marshes.
Weather cap the top of gate posts
You can use weather caps to prevent water from penetrating into the post. These should be permanently attached in a way that does not compromise the waterproofing of the post. You can glue or nail through the side of the post but not through the top.
Further information
Read Countryside Stewardship: get funding to protect and improve the land you manage to find out more information about Mid Tier, Higher Tier and Capital Grants including how to apply.
Updates to this page
Last updated 7 November 2023 + show all updates
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Removal of text confirming FG12 Wooden field gate availability under Countryside Stewardship Capital Grants (SFI pilot), as the SFI Capital offer is no longer available.
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Weather cap removed from the requirements section and added to the advice and suggestions sections with further guidance added.
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'Where to use this item' section updated to include detail on SFI pilot standards.
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'Air quality' added to Land use.
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Page updated to show latest record keeping
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Capital item now includes woodland.
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Information updated for applications in 2016.
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First published.