The Forestry Commission has published a case study confirming a new woodland creation project at Brook Farm, Herefordshire. The 146‑acre site, backed by the England Woodland Creation Offer (EWCO), will plant 124,400 mixed broadleaf and conifer trees as part of FW Thorpe PLC’s carbon strategy, with stated aims of public access, flood mitigation, timber supply and nature recovery. Published 28 November 2025, the case study features Kate Thorpe of FW Thorpe.
EWCO is the principal grant for new woodland in England. Projects must meet the UK Forestry Standard and can receive support for standard capital items, infrastructure for management or access, and annual maintenance payments of £400 per hectare for 15 years to establish young trees.
Payment rates were uplifted in March 2024. Additional Contributions now include up to £3,300/ha for Nature Recovery (premium), £1,000/ha for Flood Risk Management, £500/ha for Water Quality, £2,500/ha for Riparian Buffers, £600/ha for Close to Settlements, and £3,700/ha for Recreational Access. A separate £1,100/ha Low Sensitivity Land payment can be stacked where eligible. Maintenance rose to £400/ha per year.
Designing for public access is material to Brook Farm’s stated objectives. Under EWCO, the Recreational Access Additional Contribution requires new public foot access for at least 30 years and is assessed by compartment against mapping and design criteria; minimum stocking and species‑mix rules apply for certain contributions.
Private finance can sit alongside public grant in defined circumstances. Forestry Commission Operations Note 62 sets the rules for combining EWCO with other ecosystem service payments. Recipients cannot take an EWCO Additional Contribution and sell the same service to third parties; most EWCO‑funded woodland will not generate Biodiversity Net Gain units, though Defra has signalled limited scenarios may be possible. Registration with the Woodland Carbon Code (WCC) remains compatible, subject to additionality tests.
For corporate carbon strategies, the WCC provides the assurance framework. Projects list future removals as Pending Issuance Units (PIUs) which convert to verified Woodland Carbon Units (WCUs) at scheduled checks-first at year five, then at least every ten years thereafter, with the option to self‑assess from year 15 in defined cases. Only WCUs can be used for UK emissions reporting; PIUs support forward planning and claims of support for woodland creation.
Market infrastructure has also evolved. Fees on the UK Land Carbon Registry increased on 1 November 2024 to 15p per PIU issued and 10p per PIU converted to WCU (minimum £100), with corporate account fees unchanged; the changes were introduced to cover registry costs.
Brook Farm’s co‑benefit claims mirror EWCO priorities. The Forestry Commission case study lists public access, flood prevention, timber and nature recovery; FW Thorpe’s public materials add that connectivity to existing woods and measures such as leaky dams are intended to hold water in the landscape and shape a site for community use through paths and visitor facilities.
Scale is material for establishment planning. The 146‑acre footprint is roughly 59 hectares, implying a planting density of around 2,100 stems per hectare across the project-well above minima used in some EWCO contribution criteria such as the 1,100 stems per hectare threshold applied to “close to settlements”, and consistent with commercial mixed planting densities.
Marketing and reporting need careful handling. The Competition and Markets Authority’s Green Claims Code and the Advertising Standards Authority’s guidance require that any “carbon neutral” or “net zero” claims clearly explain their basis, including the role of offsetting and the extent of direct emissions reductions; unqualified offset‑based claims have been ruled misleading. Parallel EU restrictions on offset‑based consumer claims from 2026 create cross‑border compliance considerations for UK brands operating in the single market.