Sustainable woodlands have been prioritised with the expansion of the 'Forests for Our Future' programme in Northern Ireland.
This next stage of the programme sees the opening of the Forest Expansion Scheme & Small Woodland Grant Schemes to encourage and help landowners plant their own woodlands.
The Small Woodland Grant Scheme is designed as a simple online scheme for new native woodlands of 0.2 hectares and larger, while the Forest Expansion Scheme supports native woodland, mixed woodland or commercial conifer woodland that can best meet land owners business needs whilst contributing to a living, working, active landscape. Successful applicants to the schemes will receive up to 100% of eligible establishment costs and annual premium payments for a 10-year period.
Launching the next stage of the programme, Environment Minister Edwin Poots said: "I am delighted to announce the reopening of the Forest Expansion Scheme and Small Woodland Grant Scheme for 2022 on 15 June. These schemes are designed to attract and support farmers and other landowners to plant new woodland to complement their land management activity and add to our valuable woodland assets.
"I am pleased that in the last year land owners planted 525 hectares of new woodland under forestry grant schemes support. This is an encouraging response on our journey to increase the level of afforestation needed to reach the targets set out in the challenging Forests for Our Future programme.
"The reopening of our forestry grant schemes will enable private land owners and public sector organisations to bring forward new woodland creation projects for the forthcoming planting season."
Landowners who wish to plant this winter are reminded that all applications to the Forest Expansion Scheme must be submitted to Forest Service by 31 August 2022. All applications to the Small Woodland Grant Scheme must be made using the online system before 31 August 2022. Early applications are encouraged and can be made at any time following the schemes opening.
Construction News
15/06/2022
'Forests For Our Future' Programme Moves To Next Stage


14/03/2025
More than 135 homes have been delivered thus far at Deanery Demesne, County Armagh, courtesy of a multi-million pound build programme.
Deanery Demesne Ltd, with funding support from Bank of Ireland UK, has invested more than £30m into the now-occupied homes, with work continuing at pace to complete

14/03/2025
The €26 million Advanced Manufacturing Training Centre of Excellence (AMTCE) in Dundalk, County Louth, was officially opened yesterday (March 13).
This state-of-the-art facility for Louth Meath Education and Training Board (LMETB) represents the largest single capital investment in the Further Educ

14/03/2025
Over 70% of works on a major €25m upgrade of the Kenmare Wastewater Treatment Plant in County Kerry have been completed, Uisce Éireann has announced.
Glanua Ltd, who is carrying out the works on behalf of the utilities company, is continuing construction in line with the programme, with the install

14/03/2025
Northern Ireland Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins recently visited one of the sites of the A5 Western Transport Corridor project where some advance works have been ongoing in preparation for the main works on the scheme beginning.
The scheme will provide approximately 85km of new A5 from south o

14/03/2025
Northern Ireland construction firm GRAHAM will begin work this spring as the new contractor on a world-class cultural hub project in Coventry.
Construction on the pioneering City Centre Cultural Gateway (CCCG) was paused in September when the previous contractor, ISG, entered administration. Howev

14/03/2025
A £596,000 carriageway resurfacing scheme will commence next week in County Down.
The scheme, on Purdysburn Road, Castlereagh, will begin on Tuesday, March 18, and extend for approximately 1.5 km from the junction of Milltown Road to the Beechill Road roundabout.
Announcing the scheme, Northern I

14/03/2025
Congratulations have been extended to the latest class of students who have successfully completed Dublin-based construction company Mercury's Graduate Programme.
The company's CEO, Eoin Vaughan, presented certificates of completion to the group of 28 graduates at a recent ceremony held at the Iris

14/03/2025
GEDA Construction will commence emergency works to repair a Belfast-based sewer on Tuesday, March 18, NI Water has announced.
To facilitate the works safely, Wellington Street, where the sewer is located, will be closed to through traffic between College Square East and Upper Queen Street for up to

13/03/2025
A new site in Baldoyle, north Dublin, has been acquired by the Land Development Agency (LDA) for the delivery of 1,931 homes.
Planning permission is already existing for the homes and the site has been earmarked for housing since 2016.
The land is next to the LDA's Clongriffin/ Cluain Ghrífín land

13/03/2025
A proposed County Down-based bypass scheme will move forward to the business case and procurement stage, Northern Ireland Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins has announced.
The A24 Ballynahinch Bypass Scheme will provide a single carriageway bypass, approximately 3.1 kilometres in length around the