THE Forestry Commission has unveiled new cash incentives designed to help make the West Midlands a greener place to live.

Its latest English Woodland Grant Scheme (EWGS) will offer farmers and other landowners even greater financial rewards for planting new trees, especially in areas that lack green spaces.

The scheme supports landowners who provide public benefits, including creating new native woodlands, improving public access, creating recreation opportunities and enhancing habitats for wildlife.

It will target Quality of Place (QoP) areas which have high populations, deprivation and a current absence of existing woodland, as well as the woodland creation priority areas of the Forest of Feckenham area of Worcestershire and the Needwood Forest and Churnet Valley areas of East Staffordshire.

Bob Evans, delivery and outreach manager for the Forestry Commission's West Midlands region, said: "We're offering additional contributions on top of planting grants and farm woodland payments in a bid to give the West Midlands a green boost.

"This means that on the right land farmers will be able to get an extra £2,000 per hectare. Our aim is to provide new green spaces that people can enjoy for years to come."

To qualify, landowners need to meet the EWGS criteria, create new woodland and - to secure an extra £500 funding outside QoP areas - there must be public access provision.

The Forestry Commission is looking for applications that will create new native species woodland, especially near existing ancient woodland which will provide further natural habitats for wildlife to thrive in.

It is aiming to create new woodland near to where people live, particularly within the urban fringe, to provide people with space to enjoy a range of activities, include walking and cycling.

The grants are designed to enhance the landscape and restore former industrial land.

The West Midlands total area of woodland and forestry (of 0.1 hectares and more) is 98,474 hectares, representing 7.6 per cent of the land area, compared with 8.4 per cent, as a whole.

There has been an increase of 1.5 per cent in woodland and forestry cover in the region in the past 20 years, as a result of significant new planting of broadleaves through various grant schemes.

The majority of the planting has taken place in rural areas but, more recently, there has been greater emphasis on planting in or on the edges of urban areas.

The English Woodland Grant Scheme is the Forestry Commission's suite of grants designed to develop the co-ordinated delivery of public benefits from England's woodlands.

EWGS is supported via the Rural Development Plan for England and is part of Defra’s environmental support.

Changes to grant rules now allow farmers to continue to receive single farm payments, as well as claiming EWGS and Farm Woodland Payments for planting new woodlands on agricultural land.

The closing date for Woodland Creation Grant is Wednesday.

Anyone interested in finding out more about making an application should contact their Woodland Officer:

Worcestershire and East Herefordshire: Wayne Barnes, 01905 535513

South Shropshire and West Herefordshire: Nick Smith, 01584 877544

Further information can also be found at www.forestry.gov.uk/ewgs or at www.forestry.gov.uk/westmidlands