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Freewoods Scheme

If you have land that falls within the 200 square miles of The National Forest, and is less than one hectare in size, the Freewood Scheme could help you create your own small woodland.

Freewoods has been developed as a means of creating small woodland to fit in with all landscape types, around continued farming activity, and other land uses.

This is an opportunity for landowners in The National Forest to convert small areas of land to woodland, that are simple, attractive and completely free. Freewoods offers three woodland themes, each specifically designed to help landowners tackle some of the most pressing economic and environmental concerns:

Environmental/Commercial. Options to create a firewood wood, designed to supply fuel wood to reduce domestic heating bills and fossil fuel reliance, or a shelterbelt wood to protect soil and livestock from the effects of climate change.
Conservation/Landscape. Options to create a wildlife wood with the best possible conditions to attract birds and other wildlife, a wet woodland to make the most of an area of wetter ground where land is less productive, or a connection wood to improve landscaping and to provide 'corridors' for wildlife to move from one habitat to another.
Amenity. Options to create a colour wood for year round seasonal colour, a sporting wood for game or recreation provision, or a roadside wood for privacy, noise dampening and landscaping.

Sun peering through trees at Jackson's Bank Forest

The National Forest Company will pay all costs for a professional consultant to design, apply, plant and establish the scheme for the first three years. After this, the landowner agrees to the on-going care and management of the woodland.

For more information and details of how to apply for this scheme please download the Freewoods Scheme Information Leaflet or contact: