Guidance

Water gates (FG15): Woodland capital grants 2015

Find out about eligibility and requirements for the water gates capital item.

From:
Forestry Commission, Rural Payments Agency and Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
Published
17 February 2015

This guidance was withdrawn on

This page has been withdrawn because it’s out of date. For current information read: FG15: Water gates

Applies to England

Foresters and other land managers can apply for woodland capital grants.

Read the accompanying guidance to find out more about Countryside Stewardship woodland capital grants 2015.

How much will be paid

£240 per gate.

Where the item is available

This item can only be used on fence lines across streams, with other stock or deer control items.

How this item will benefit the environment

This item will prevent livestock from entering watercourse channels. It will also stop livestock from trampling waterside banks and will leave bankside vegetation lush and unbroken by livestock paths.

Requirements

Contact the Environment Agency (EA) before applying for this item. Applicants must send a copy of the EA’s advice, and any permits, with their application.

On the land

Successful applicants will need to fit a gate across the river or stream. Make sure that the gate:

  • is framed and made of wood

  • fits the profile of the river or stream

  • is made in the traditional local style

  • matches the fence next to it in height

  • uses timber that’s fully peeled and tanalised or treated with an approved preservative

  • can float up and down as the water levels rise and fall

  • has an approach fence that’s either a post-and-rail or fixed netting fence

  • is separate (along with the approach fencing) from the main fence line

  • meets the relevant British Standards (BS) - check copies of the most up-to-date standards

The gate must consist of a series of wooden droppers attached to a length of wire cable, or a round wooden rail suspended horizontally between straining posts. The droppers must be:

  • at least 50mm square in cross section

  • made from sawn, untreated timber that’s been drilled and then threaded on to the cable or rail

  • separated by 150mm lengths of plastic pipe

If the stream gully is more than 1.5m deep, the gate can be constructed in several sections. The droppers must be:

  • made of untreated timber

  • at least 70mm square

  • hung on round wooden poles using loops of fencing wire

Keeping records

Successful applicants will need to keep:

  • geotagged photographs of the area before and after completion of the work (these will need to be submitted with any claim)

  • any receipted invoices and bank statements related to the work (these must be shown on request)

How to carry out this item

The following section gives advice on carrying out this item successfully but this advice is not compulsory.

Flood defence consent (FDC) may be needed to use this item near a watercourse or within 10m (this varies with some local byelaws) of the top of a riverbank.

Applicants can get FDC from:

  • the Environment Agency (EA) (for main rivers)

  • an internal drainage board

  • local flood authorities (for ordinary watercourses)

If FDC may be needed, contact the EA first.

This item can be used on the same area as the following items and supplements:

Updates to this page

Published 17 February 2015

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