PA3 Woodland Management Plan Grant: Now Open to Woods From 0.5 Hectares

A lot of farms have a wood that's never had a plan: a shelterbelt, a field-corner spinney, a couple of hectares of old broadleaf. Until this year, most of them were too small for PA3 ↗, the Countryside Stewardship grant that pays for a woodland management plan. For 2026, the minimum eligible area has dropped from 3 hectares to 0.5.

What it pays

Woods of 0.5 to 50 hectares get a flat £1,500. From 51 to 100 hectares, it's £1,500 plus £30 for each hectare over 50. Above 100 hectares, it's £3,000 plus £15 for each hectare over 100. The payment is based on the total eligible woodland on the holding, and no more than 20% of that can be newly planted woodland under ten years old.

What the plan has to do

The plan has to meet the UK Forestry Standard and be approved by the Forestry Commission. It sets out what the woodland is for, what's threatening it, and the work planned to look after it. Where deer are affecting regeneration or the condition of the habitat, that's one of the threats the plan should deal with, through monitoring, population management, and protection.

Why it matters beyond the plan itself

An approved woodland management plan is the starting point for most other woodland funding. You need one before applying for Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier woodland actions, and the Forestry Commission's approval letter is part of the evidence for capital items like deer fencing and high seats. For deer specifically, a PA7 species management plan sits alongside it, and that's what opens the door to CWS1 payments for the control work itself.

The deer section is where plans get vague

It's easy to write that deer are present and should be managed. It's harder to say which species, roughly how many, where they're coming from, and what they're actually doing to the wood, and that's the part the Forestry Commission looks at most closely. A Deer Number Survey & Impact Assessment gives you that picture in plain language, free of charge, so the plan reflects what's really happening.

How to apply

You can apply online through the Rural Payments service or by email or post. The 2026 applicant's guide ↗ sets out the steps, and it's worth a word with your local Forestry Commission woodland officer before you start.