Northern Forest ‘Grow Back Greener’

Funding to landowners

As part of the Northern Forest partnership we are able to offer funding to landowners across Merseyside and Cheshire through the Grow Back Greener programme, thanks to funding from the Government’s Nature for Climate Fund.

If you own or manage land in the area, you can apply for up to 100% of the costs of woodland creation and our woodland advisor can support you through the design and application process. This flexible programme offers:

• funding for a wide variety of woodland types such as copses, woodland, wood pasture, agro-forestry, community copses and small orchards as well as accompanying hedging and internal open spaces
• support for both small and large-scale projects
• Payments for initial establishment and ongoing maintenance
• option to register with the Woodland Carbon Code
• support for any necessary protection and access stiles, fencing, and gates
• free advice and support throughout the design, planning, regulatory and planting process. Full constraints checks carried out to mitigate risk
• Our advisers have expertise in designing and creating new native woodland to maximise the benefits for wildlife and climate change

We’ve worked with a range of partners, including many local authorities, and private landowners across Merseyside and Cheshire, to establish woodlands and standard trees through the Grow Back Greener programme.

Standard trees can be planted in any publicly accessible space.

Planting through the programme has enhanced areas of parks, recreation grounds, sports facilities, garden centres, and private spaces along footpaths and conservation areas, enhancing special views to and from historic landscapes.

In 2023-24, 36 schemes were planted with support of the programme, with over 38000 trees planted, including 854 standards. Many of these schemes have public access helping to boost peoples’ access to nature, recreation and wellbeing in some of our more urban areas.