Hilley Farm in Shropshire has turned four hectares of marginal ground into a new woodland, complemented by pocket planting and agroforestry across fields that were uneconomic for arable or grazing. The Forestry Commission case study reports livestock shade and shelter benefits and confirms the site is registered under the Woodland Carbon Code.
For policy teams and land managers, the case is a practical example of how the Woodland Carbon Code (WCC) works alongside grant funding. The WCC is the UK government‑backed quality assurance standard for woodland carbon, administered by Scottish Forestry with projects listed on the UK Land Carbon Registry. It issues two unit types: Pending Issuance Units (PIUs) based on predicted removals, and Woodland Carbon Units (WCUs) once sequestration is verified.
Key timings are strict. Since 1 October 2022, projects must register before any on‑site work begins. Validation by a UKAS‑accredited body then checks the design and predicted carbon within three years of registration; PIUs are created at this point. The first verification is due five years from project start, with subsequent checks at least every ten years; at verification, eligible PIUs convert to WCUs. From year 15, some projects can opt for self‑assessment, but units do not convert without third‑party verification.
The standard expects a permanent land‑use change to woodland, with project durations defined up to 100 years. Permanence is managed through legislation on deforestation and a shared buffer that holds a portion of units to insure against carbon loss; the buffer is visible as a WCC account on the registry.
Version 3.0 of the WCC took effect on 1 August 2025, with an 11‑month transition allowing submissions under Version 2.2 until 30 June 2026. Updates include clearer survey requirements, streamlined templates, refreshed economic data in the additionality cashflow and a simplified route for smaller projects. Teams planning 2026 planting seasons should check which version their validator will apply.
Funding can run in parallel. The England Woodland Creation Offer (EWCO) covers capital works and infrastructure, pays annual maintenance for 15 years, and offers Additional Contributions for public benefits. Rates were uplifted in March 2024, including a £400 per hectare annual maintenance payment and a new low‑sensitivity payment. Applicants can also prepare WCC registration through the EWCO form, but must register with the WCC before planting.
Combining payments requires care. Defra’s Operations Note 62 confirms that EWCO‑funded projects may register under the WCC if they meet the code’s additionality tests, but in most cases they cannot also sell Biodiversity Net Gain units for the same land parcel. The WCC’s additionality assessment checks legal constraints and the financial case to demonstrate carbon income is needed beyond business‑as‑usual.
The Woodland Carbon Guarantee-previously offering a government floor price for verified WCUs in England-is currently closed to new applications. Projects validated to the WCC can still sell PIUs or WCUs privately, but buyers should understand that PIUs are not guaranteed until verification.
On mixed farms, SFI and Countryside Stewardship actions can support trees within productive systems. SFI’s AGF2 pays for maintaining low‑density in‑field agroforestry, and actions such as buffers around in‑field trees can be used on arable or intensive grassland. However, SFI 2024 closed to most new applicants on 18 August 2025, with Defra signalling a revised offer opening in 2026; existing SFI agreements continue to be paid.
The farm‑level benefits noted at Hilley Farm are consistent with published guidance: trees can moderate temperature, reduce wind stress and improve animal welfare outcomes through shade and shelter. Government and Forest Research materials also highlight soil, water and flood benefits alongside potential new income streams where timber or fuelwood is appropriate.
Costs and administration should be planned in advance. Typical third‑party validation fees in 2025 range from roughly £1,800 to £2,500 plus VAT per project, with verification at £1,800 to £3,500 plus VAT; registry fees apply when converting PIUs to WCUs at verification. Booking a validator early helps align WCC milestones with EWCO capital works.
Context matters for delivery. The UK’s long‑standing ambition is 30,000 hectares of new woodland per year by 2025, with England’s share framed as at least 7,000 hectares annually. In 2024/25 the UK created about 15.6 thousand hectares of new woodland, with England contributing 5,765 hectares of woodland plus 888,000 trees outside woodland. Nearly half of new UK woodland in 2023/24 was validated to the WCC, indicating strong alignment between grant delivery and carbon market standards.
Taken together, Hilley Farm shows a replicable pathway: use EWCO to establish well‑designed woodland on unproductive land, align the application with WCC registration before planting, and-where appropriate-use SFI or Countryside Stewardship to integrate trees into working fields. The compliance steps are clear and the operational gains for livestock systems are tangible, provided additionality and permanence rules are built into the farm plan from the start.