Grants for making tracks

[Andy & Heather]

Has anyone else managed to get a grant for creating a forest access track?

We are in Wales and contacted the Glastir funding department and they said we would have to allow complete public access. Is this just in Wales? We would like to share our woodland - but more on a 'permitted access' basis. Is there a minimum amount of public access you need to allow? Can you decide which groups have access or is it more a case of opening the woods for a certain number of days a year?

[Bearwood]

From what I understand the grants are awarded based upon your area's requirement. Here in the East Midland for example, this could be one or more of the following:
1) Greater Public access to woods, between 50% and 80% funding depending upon 'quality of place' in relation to deprived areas.
2) Woodland SSSI maintenance; used to maintain an existing SSSI within favourable status.
3) Woodland Biodiversity grant; as simple as it may sound, you need to research your area fully in order to determine where the funds need to be spent in order to meet the purpose of the grant.
4) UK Biodiversity Action Plan; in my locality the BAP is to encourage woodland birds and their habitat. Your BAP may be totally different.
5) Red Squirrel Fund. In England, certain areas are subsidised to promote the Red's habitat with the aim of maintaining a strong foothold.

I have up the concept of applying for a grant as the red tape was too great for the return. I sure as hell don't fancy the public access grant, and the others were fairly irrelevant to my patch, leaving the BAP grant the only viable one for us.

[Andy & Heather]

I think that is the point - in our area all the grants linked to track creation, etc come under 'increasing public access' - which is fair enough. We have just scaled back our original plans and are going it alone.

[Bearwood]

Going it alone gives you more control over what is essentially, woodland for your pleasure and enjoyment. All the best for your track-making endeavours

[tracy]

Tracks are another great reason for getting to know your woodland neighbours. As many of us share woodland access we might need to apply for the grants jointly. Be good ot hear how others get on.

[docsquid]

We managed to get grants for tracks in our woodland to help with management. This was part of a package including a woodland management plan, woodland management grant, grant for fencing along the roadside and tracks. We do not open all the time, but we DO hold open days once a month and open on Wednesday evenings throughout the summer. The grants are paid at 50% cost if you don't have public access and 80% if you do...but there is no in-between state of opening certain days/hours. The grants were not conditional upon any public access, but were granted as ours is wet ancient woodland, and also a long thin shape, making management difficult without access with a vehicle for coppicing and clearing operations. They were grants for forestry purposes rather than access - but having said that, it does mean that visitors in wheelchairs or mobility scooters can see a good fraction of the woods.

Access for public on limited basis, plus for community groups was always part of our priority for the woodland - but if you want to keep the woodland for yourself, you could still get grants provided it can be shown that the tracks are needed for forestry purposes.