Hedge planting grants in the UK: How to get paid for hedgerows in 2025

Updated on the 19th of February 2025

Once upon a time, hedgerows were just there—marking the edges of fields, keeping the cows from wandering into the neighbour’s veg patch, and providing a handy supply of blackberries in autumn. But these days, hedgerows are so much more than leafy boundaries. They’re biodiversity lifelines, natural flood defences, and—perhaps most importantly for landowners in 2025—a solid source of grant funding.

If you’re thinking about planting new hedgerows, restoring old ones, or maintaining the ones you’ve already got, now is the time. With government grants, biodiversity funding, and private sector payments, landowners can get paid to plant and protect hedgerows, all while making their land healthier and more productive.

Why hedge planting is a smart move in 2025

If you’ve ever stood at the edge of a field in winter, watching the wind flatten your crops and send your topsoil flying towards Scotland, you’ll know that hedgerows do a lot more than look pretty.

In practical terms, hedgerows:

• Provide shelter for crops and livestock (because even sheep appreciate a windbreak)
• Reduce soil erosion and water runoff, helping to prevent flooding
• Attract pollinators and pest-eating birds, giving you free natural pest control
• Enhance biodiversity, creating vital corridors for wildlife
• Qualify for government grants that pay you to plant, restore, and maintain them

If your land could use a few more hedges and a bit more funding to go with them, let’s look at the best hedge planting grants available in 2025.

The best hedge planting grants in the UK in 2025

Countryside Stewardship (CS) Capital Grants – The best bet for hedge planting

Countryside Stewardship pays landowners to plant, restore, and protect hedgerows.

• What it funds: Planting new hedgerows, gapping up, hedge-laying, coppicing, and fencing.
• Who can apply: Farmers, landowners, and estate managers in England.
• Payment example:
  • £9.50 per metre for planting new hedgerows.
  • £22.97 per metre for fencing to protect hedgerows from livestock.

💡 Why apply? If you’re planting or restoring hedgerows, CS Capital Grants are the easiest way to get funding.

Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) – Get paid annually for managing hedgerows

If you’ve already got hedgerows, SFI pays you to manage them properly—which is a great deal considering many landowners were doing it for free before.

• What it funds: Assessing hedgerow condition, wildlife-friendly trimming, and maintaining hedgerow trees.
• Who can apply: Farmers and landowners with existing hedgerows.
• Payment example:
  • £5 per 100 metres for assessing hedgerow condition.
  • £13 per 100 metres for managing hedgerows through rotational cutting.
  • £10 per 100 metres for maintaining or planting hedgerow trees.

💡 Why apply? If you’ve already got hedgerows, this is free money for looking after them properly.

England Woodland Creation Offer (EWCO) – When hedgerows become tree belts

EWCO isn’t just for big woodland projects—it also funds tree belts and hedgerows, especially if they provide environmental benefits like flood prevention or carbon capture.

• What it funds: Tree planting, including hedgerows and shelterbelts.
• Who can apply: Farmers, landowners, and organisations in England.
• Payment example:
  • Up to £8,000 per hectare for planting tree belts.
  • 10 years of annual maintenance payments.

💡 Why apply? If your hedgerow plan includes trees, this grant pays more than standard Countryside Stewardship.

Tree Health Pilot Scheme – Funding for diseased hedgerow trees

Got ash dieback in your hedgerows? This grant helps cover the cost of removing and replacing diseased trees.

• What it funds: Removal of diseased hedgerow trees, replanting, and protective fencing.
• Who can apply: Landowners managing diseased trees under a Statutory Plant Health Notice (SPHN).
• Payment example: Varies depending on removal and replanting costs.

💡 Why apply? Nobody wants dead, crumbling trees in their hedgerows—this helps cover the cost of fixing the problem.

Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) – Get paid long-term for hedge planting

If you’re willing to commit land to biodiversity improvements, developers will pay you for planting and maintaining hedgerows as part of Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) agreements.

• What it funds: Hedgerow creation, enhancement, and long-term management.
• Who can apply: Landowners willing to commit hedgerows for biodiversity gains for at least 30 years.
• Payment example: Can be thousands per hectare per year, depending on contract terms.

💡 Why apply? Unlike most grants, BNG can provide income for decades, not just a one-off payment.

How to apply for hedge planting grants in 2025

If you’re looking for funding for hedgerows that don’t yet exist, CS Capital Grants and EWCO are your best bet. If you’ve already got hedgerows and want to be paid to look after them, SFI is the simplest option.

Steps to apply:

1. Assess your land – Identify where new hedges could improve your farm or estate.
2. Match your project to the right grant – CS for planting, SFI for maintenance, or BNG for long-term income.
3. Prepare a planting plan – Most grants require maps, species choices, and fencing details.
4. Apply early – Funding is limited and competitive, so don’t delay.

Maximise your funding opportunities with AskGrant

If all of this sounds like a lot to navigate, that’s because it is. Luckily, AskGrant makes it easy.

• Find exactly which hedge planting grants you qualify for.
• Compare funding for hedgerow creation, tree planting, and agroforestry.
• Get tailored guidance on maximising long-term income from biodiversity schemes.

Hedgerows aren’t just part of our rural heritage—they’re a smart financial decision in 2025. Don’t miss out on the funding available this year.

Sign up for AskGrant today and start securing the best grants for your hedge planting project.

Sign up now and turn your hedge-planting plans into reality.

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