Legacy woodland grants and obligations
Claim and manage legacy schemes: English Woodland Grant Scheme (EWGS), Farm Woodland Premium Scheme (FWPS), Farm Woodland Scheme (FWS) and Woodland Grant Scheme (WGS).
Applies to England
These legacy grant schemes still have payments or obligations:
- English Woodland Grant Scheme (EWGS)
- Farm Woodland Premium Scheme (FWPS)
- Farm Woodland Scheme (FWS)
- Woodland Grant Scheme (WGS)
English Woodland Grant Scheme (EWGS)
The English Woodland Grant Scheme closed to new applications on 30 September 2014. To find out about current grant schemes see Countryside Stewardship Woodland Support.
Grants available through EWGS were:
- Woodland Improvement Grant (WIG)
- Woodfuel WIG
- Woodland Management Grant
- Woodland Creation Grant
- Farm Woodland Payments (these are compensation payments for agricultural income forgone when creating new woodlands on agricultural land)
- Woodland Planning Grant
- Woodland Assessment Grant
- Woodland Regeneration Grant
Claiming your grant
Claim forms are sent to the main applicant for Woodland Creation Grant and annual claims (Farm Woodland Payments and Woodland Management Grant) for completion.
The main applicant must complete an EWGS 8 - Claim form and photographic evidence (if required) for the following grant types:
- Woodland Improvement Grant
- Woodland Regeneration Grant
- Woodland Planning Grant
Return all claim forms to the Administrative Hub that covers your area.
The deadline for returning your annual claim (Farm Woodland Payments and Woodland Management Grant) is 15 May. Failure to return your claim by this deadline will result in a penalty. You will be told in writing if this happens and, if you don’t agree, you may be able to appeal. Details on how to do this will be in the letter that is sent to you.
You must claim for the second instalment of the Woodland Creation Grant by the end of the contract date.
You must submit all other grant claims by the end of the financial year stated in your contract.
If you’re claiming for Woodland Creation Grant, Woodland Improvement Grant or Woodland Regeneration Grant, you must provide photographic evidence to accompany the claim. Read more about Capital grant claims requirement for photographic evidence: operations note 039.
How long will it take the claim to be paid?
Your claim may be selected for inspection, which may increase the time taken for your claim to be paid.
Woodland Management Grant and Farm Woodland Payments are paid annually, normally in December.
How do I update my details?
Contact your Administrative Hub, which covers your area, to update your contact details.
Contact Rural Payments to update your payee details.
How do I transfer the ownership of the property?
If you’re selling or about to sell your land that has a Farm Woodland Payments grant scheme on it, refer to change of ownership of land under a grant scheme: operations note 14.
The successor’s form should be completed for any grant schemes that you have with the Forestry Commission. Send completed forms back to the Administrative Hub, which covers your area.
EWGS terms and conditions
On 1 January 2023, all European grant funded grant schemes moved on to domestic terms and conditions.
This means that some of the conditions under EU law that were retained following departure from the EU no longer apply, for example you now have 8 weeks to apply for force majeure instead of the previous 15 days.
The main revision, and benefit of the new terms and conditions is that the Forestry Commission now has more discretion over how reductions are applied, and penalty conditions have been removed.
Read the , which supersede all earlier versions.
Contact fs.compliance@forestrycommission.gov.uk for more information.
On 31 December 2024, Cross Compliance ends in England. This means that deductions for cross compliance breaches will no longer be made to Farm Woodland Payments. Clause 30 of the terms and conditions has been removed.
Read the previous terms and conditions for EWGS.
How to invoke the force majeure (exceptional circumstances) clause
For further information about force majeure in your scheme and to notify us of your intention to invoke this clause, use the Force majeure application form for Forestry Commission Legacy schemes form.
Further information
For more information on the transition of EWGS legacy grants to the Countryside Stewardship Scheme, please see Operations note 29.
Farm Woodland Premium Scheme (FWPS)
The Farm Woodland Premium Scheme (FWPS) was introduced on 1 April 1992 to replace the Farm Woodland Scheme (FWS).
Claiming your grant
All FWPS claims will be sent out to the main applicant annually.
Send the completed form back to the Administrative Hub, which covers your area, by 15 May. Failure to return your claim by this deadline will result in a penalty. You will be told in writing if this happens and, if you don’t agree, you may be able to appeal. Details on how to do this will be in the letter that is sent to you.
How long will the claim take to be paid?
Your claim may be selected for inspection, which may increase the time taken for your claim to be paid.
FWPS is normally paid in December.
How do I update my details?
Contact the Administrative Hub, which covers your area, to update your contact details.
Contact Rural Payments to update your payee details.
How do I transfer the ownership of the property?
You should use the Change of ownership of land under a grant scheme: operations note 14 if you’re selling or about to sell your land that has a FWPS grant scheme on it.
The successor’s form should be completed for any grant schemes that you have with the Forestry Commission. Send the completed forms back to the Administrative Hub, which covers your area.
How to invoke the force majeure (exceptional circumstances) clause
For further information about force majeure in your scheme and to notify us of your intention to invoke this clause, use the force majeure application form for legacy schemes.
Rules and procedures
Farm Woodland Scheme (FWS)
Claiming your grant
Claim forms will be sent out to the main applicant every 5 years.
Send the completed form back to the Administrative Hub, which covers your area.
How long will the claim take to be paid?
Your claim may be selected for inspection, which may increase the time taken for your claim to be paid.
How do I update my details?
Contact your Administrative Hub, which covers your area, to update your contact details,
Contact Rural Payments to update your payee details.
How do I transfer the ownership of the property?
You should use the Change of ownership of land under a grant scheme: operations note 14 if you’re selling or about to sell your land that has a Farm Woodland Scheme grant scheme on it.
The successor’s form should be completed for any grant schemes that you have with the Forestry Commission. Send the completed forms back to the Administrative Hub, which covers your area.
Terms and conditions
Woodland Grant Scheme (WGS)
The Woodland Grant Scheme has no further payments to be made. Contact the Administrative Hub, which covers your area, with any further queries.
Who to contact for more advice or information?
Contact the Administrative Hub, which covers your area, for more information on legacy grants or if you have a query. They will be able to help you and put you in touch with someone who can answer your question.
Appeals
You can make a complaint or appeal against a Forestry Commission decision.
Updates to this page
Last updated 1 January 2024 + show all updates
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Updated the terms and conditions (T&Cs) section for EWGS, due to the Cross Compliance rules ending on 31 December 2023 and moved legacy T&Cs to another webpage.
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Update to EWCS terms and conditions.
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A link to the 'Force majeure application form for Forestry Commission Legacy schemes' form has been added beneath the 'English Woodland Grant Schemes' and 'Farm Woodland Premium Schemes' headings.
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First published.