The Forestry Commission has published a case study confirming a new woodland creation project at Brook Farm in Herefordshire. Led by FW Thorpe PLC, the 146‑acre site (around 59 hectares) will establish 124,400 mixed broadleaf and conifer trees to support the company’s carbon strategy, while providing public access, contributing to flood management, supplying future timber and aiding nature recovery.
Funding comes through the England Woodland Creation Offer (EWCO), the government grant scheme that covers standard capital planting costs, pays annual maintenance for 15 years, and offers targeted “additional contributions” where projects deliver wider public benefits. Current published rates include maintenance at £400 per hectare per year, with a cap on standard capital costs and further optional payments for specific outcomes.
The scheme’s additional contributions are one‑off, paid with the final capital claim, and assessed by compartment. Where a design demonstrably delivers outcomes such as recreational access, flood risk management or water quality improvements, per‑hectare payments can be stacked. For example, published rates include up to £3,700/ha for new public foot access (minimum 30 years), £1,000/ha for flood risk management and £500/ha for water quality, subject to eligibility. Brook Farm’s stated aims align with these categories, though awards depend on mapped targeting and design compliance.
Beyond grant funding, corporate woodland projects commonly use the Woodland Carbon Code (WCC), the government‑backed quality assurance standard, to quantify and verify carbon removals. The WCC issues Pending Issuance Units (forecast) and Woodland Carbon Units (verified), providing a recognised route for companies to compensate for residual UK emissions over time.
A mixed broadleaf–conifer design is consistent with official guidance on carbon performance: conifers typically remove carbon more quickly in early decades, while broadleaf woodland tends to store larger volumes over longer periods. Species choice and management therefore influence both near‑term removal and long‑term storage, reinforcing the rationale for a diversified planting palette at Brook Farm.
Natural England and the Forestry Commission advocate multi‑functional woodlands that combine biodiversity outcomes with productive timber and public access. Mixed‑species stands, managed to the UK Forestry Standard, are positioned to support domestic timber supply, draw in private finance for natural capital outcomes and build resilience to climate risks.
For project sponsors and land managers, several technical requirements shape design. Where proposals seek the ‘recreational access’ contribution, public foot access must be provided for at least 30 years on land without existing access. Design criteria also cover species composition and stocking densities for specific contributions; for example, the ‘close to settlements’ payment references UKFS‑compliant mixes with no single species exceeding 50% and a minimum 1,100 stems per hectare.
Payment flow is staged. Additional contributions are optional and released once capital works are signed off; maintenance starts after establishment. Applicants can combine multiple contributions where justified, and government guidance encourages consideration of private finance once obligations end, provided market additionality rules are met.
Taken together, the Brook Farm project illustrates how EWCO funding structures, combined with recognised carbon accounting standards, can support corporate decarbonisation while delivering public goods-access, flood mitigation, habitat and future timber-on a single site. The case study was published on 28 November 2025 by the Forestry Commission.