Transcript Wood Fuel Woodland |Improvement Grant

Woodfuel
Woodland Improvement Grant
2011
Ewan Calcott
Grants & Regulations Manager
FC England
[email protected]
Woodfuel Woodland Improvement Grant:
Woodfuel WIG
WF WIG
Woodfuel WIG presentation - Overview
• Background – Woodfuel, where did it start?
• Introduction to WF WIG
• delivery and timescale
• communications
• WF WIG objectives
• fund Projects
• Basic eligibility and definitions
• Timber fund and process
• Roads fund and process
• Amendments
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Woodfuel – Background 1
Woodfuel policy timeline
2007 – England Woodfuel Strategy
2009 – UK Renewable Energy Action Plan
2008 – 2010 - Various policies on Carbon
However,
– woodfuel supply chain remains fragile
– barriers still prevent woodland owners
from realising full potential
Sector committed to an implementation plan:
Aims,
– increasing wood supply
– encouraging the use of woodfuel
– help rural-based businesses increase
their capacity
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Woodfuel – Background 2
2011 - Woodfuel Implementation Plan (WIP)
Target:
• To achieve EU Renewable Energy Directive
(RED - 2009) - 15% of UK energy from
renewable sources by 2020
• Launched at ‘Ignite’ June 2011
• Nearly 50% of UK carbon emissions come from
heating buildings
• Renewable Heat Incentive will increase demand
for woodfuel
Aims:
• Facilitate the development of access within woodlands
• Develop and test new approaches to woodland management
• Develop woodfuel supply chains
• Provide expert and impartial information on heating buildings using wood
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Woodfuel WIG – Introduction
Woodfuel WIG (WF WIG)
• Contributes to the WIP – increased
timber production
• RDPE Axis 1 funding – improving
competitiveness i.e. economic focus
• Funding redirected from Energy Crop
Scheme
• Linked to offsetting fossil fuel based
energy production – carbon reduction
targets
• £10m to be delivered in England by
31st March, 2014
• Fixed, 60% grant contribution rate
• Has Ministerial approval - June 2011
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Woodfuel WIG – Priority delivery
Focused effort in 3 locations:
– South West England £3.25M
– South East England £3.25M
– Cumbria (only) £1.75M
• DEFRA funded contract will deliver
WF WIG in these areas (with some
FC staff involvement)
• Contract awarded to Ngage
Elsewhere –
• East England – own arrangements
• West Midlands - WO delivery
• £1.75M over 2½ years
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Woodfuel WIG – Funding timescale
WF WIG funding available until March 2014
By then
• All agreed work must be completed and claimed
• Grant awards are tied to agreed financial years
• Little scope for rescheduling
• WF WIG indicative only
• funds will be demand led
NB: Already well into year 1 of the programme
• Promotion of WF WIG needed
• Encourage management plans to be drawn up
• Identify woodlands where grants could apply
and contact owners
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Woodfuel WIG – Delivery by 2014
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Quantity ('000s)
Indicative Woodfuel WIG Delivery
Timescale (March 2011 - March 2014)
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£'m
cases¹º
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Woodfuel WIG – Communications
Promotion:
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Woodland & Woodfuel (WFO) Officers
WF WIG flyer and website
Regional events (today!)
Training events (WIP, Tracks)
Email alerts
Press releases
Applicant guidance & forms
Other promotion - depends on demand
• All to be monitored
FC Staff / WFO information – the above plus:
• Grant rules
• Internal training
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Woodfuel WIG – Aim, objectives & delivery
Aim:
• Offset fossil fuel based energy with renewable energy
Objectives:
• Increase annual timber production (2M target)
• Substitute fossil fuels, reducing carbon emissions
• Improve the economic value of woodlands
• Bring under managed woodland into production
• Increase the area of woodland in sustainable management
• Improve access to woodland areas, where this is a limiting
factor for timber production
• Generate additional environmental and social benefits
Delivery funds:
Timber – Measure and market timber
Roads – Create or improve access to extract timber
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WF WIG – Basic eligibility 1
Basic EWGS and WIG eligibility rules apply
Additionally,
• A management plan detailing
• undermanaged woodland areas, and / or
• inaccessible woodland areas
• A justification for access creation or improvement
• A basic timber volume assessment
• estimated volume of timber not reaching market due to
• limited access, or
• lack of marketing
• Grant support value is proportionate to volume of timber (and associated
carbon value) harvested
• As a guide, £50 (carbon value) per tonne of timber harvested gives a
maximum potential project value
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WF WIG – Basic eligibility 2
• Permissions
• Legal requirements from other authorities need to be obtained e.g.
• Planning authority – planning permission / GDO
• Environment Agency – water resources
• Other legislation to consider e.g.
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EIA (Forestry) Regulations 1999
European Protected Species 1994
Mines and Quarries Act 1954
Construction (design & management) regulations 2007
• EU’s ‘De minimis’ regulations
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Restricts how much a beneficiary may receive
An enterprise may receive up to €200k in any 3 years
Owners will have been notified of Di minimis funding when granted
May prevent or delay applications being eligible
NB: De minimis does not include RDPE Axis 2 agri-environment grants, but
does include historic buildings and access funds
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WF WIG – Basic eligibility 3
Definitions – for WF WIG:
Undermanaged
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missed at least the last two normal silvicultural interventions
• Conifer woodland
10 years
• Broadleaved woodland
20 years
• Coppice woodland
30 years
Inaccessible
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where the cost of harvesting timber is prohibitive because of
lack of, or
poor quality, or
damaged access infrastructure
Note:
• Both definitions can apply to a single area of woodland
• Timber revenue is excluded from grant calculations
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WF WIG – Timber fund profile
Woodfuel WIG - Timber
• Target: Undermanaged woodlands
• Supports:
• Inventory data collection
• Tree marking
• Forest mensuration
• Preparing sales and tender particulars
• Managing harvesting contracts
• Delivering harvesting machinery to site
• Agents supervision time for these activities
• site by site decision
• Grant Offer
• Based on new set of Standard Costs
• Not for use with other WIG’s
• Grant payment
• Fixed, 60% grant contribution
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WF WIG – Timber fund application
WF WIG Timber calculator
• A new, separate WIG calculator sheet
• Operates exactly the same as WIG Bio / Access
Application
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EWGS 1
EWGS 5 – brief detail of eligible operations proposed
Timber fund WIG calculator
Map(s)
Management Plan – contains
• Justification of eligible area of woodland
• Basic timber volume assessment
Process
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Application submitted
Proposals agreed and agreement issued
Work completed (by Feb 2014)
EWGS 8 claim form submitted for all completed work
Claim paid (before 31 March 2014)
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WF WIG – Roads fund profile
Woodfuel WIG - Roads
Inaccessible woodland needs?
• New access?
• Target: Inaccessible woodlands
• Upgrade of existing access?
• Is access infrastructure adequate?
• Repair of damaged access?
• Management planning is a must!
• Supports civil engineering work
• New civil engineering specifications provided
• Indicative job prices can ‘model’ access solutions
• Agreed work programme is tendered
• Grant offer
• Based upon best of 3 civil engineering quotes
• Offer of grant proportionate to timber volume available
• Grant payment
• Based on receipted invoices (actual costs)
• Only receipts presented can be claimed for
• Fixed, 60% contribution to actual costs
• Excludes VAT where applicant is VAT registered
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WF WIG – Road fund pre application
Management plan – must contain
• Up to date information
• Justify need for access improvement
• Harvesting programme
Professional services recruited
• Forestry agent
• Civil Engineer
• Basic timber volume assessment
Red tape
Applicants pre application planning
Support
• Road & track construction guidance
• Permissions needed
• Legislative issues
• Regulations
• Local consultations
• Detailed engineering specifications
On site planning
• Route selection
• Machinery and use
• Haulage / timber extraction /
turning / loading / stacking
• Road maintenance
Available finances and time
• 60% of actual costs funded by WF WIG grant
• 40% of actual costs funded by?
• Cost model various access solutions
• Establish market value of timber to be harvested
• Timetable construction and harvesting programme
• Long term sustainability
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WF WIG – Why alter road specifications?
• RDPE rules – Axis 1 funding requires 3 independent quotes
• ‘R’ Code Standard Cost specifications (Operations Note 9 )
• insufficient specification detail to create sustainable harvesting access
• Value for money?
• Mixed quality of civil engineering projects under WIG Bio
• Lack of evidence that projects will be maintained after harvesting
• Construction (Design & Management) Regulations 2007 (CDM)
• The CDM Regulations cover most common building, civil engineering and construction work
• You must notify HSE of the site if the construction work is expected to either
• last longer than 30 days
• or involve more than 500 person days of construction work
• The woodland owner has ongoing responsibility for
• Planning and inception of forest road
• Construction and delivery
• Safe and effective use and maintenance once built
• Any problems will always come back to the owner, civil engineer and user
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WF WIG – Civil engineering specs 1
WF WIG Roads calculator
• Replaces limited ‘R’ Codes in Ops Note 9 (Standard Costs)
• Covers all aspects of track and road construction and
maintenance
• Each specification is a ‘layer’ in track construction
• Indicative ‘England’ cost for each specification
• An Excel spreadsheet based calculator
• Easy to use / change / email
Applicant completes the sheet showing
• How many units of work for each specification
• Creates a ‘Bill of Quantities’ for civil engineering contractors
to quote against
• Summarises in a familiar WIG calculator format
Once submitted, FC will
• agree specification on Roads WIG calculator
• Roads WIG calculator is used to obtain 3 independent
civil engineering quotes
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WF WIG – Civil engineering specs 2
Can an applicant quote to do the work themselves?
Yes
The applicant
• Specifies and agrees type and quantity of work
• Uses indicative costs – cannot invoice self
• Must still obtain 2 other independent quotes
• Best value quote becomes EWGS grant offer
If applicant quote is best value
• Grant offer based on 60% of 80% of indicative cost
• Reduced to cover ‘in kind’ contributions
• e.g. own machine or labour
• Similar to using existing Standard Costs
• Some receipts still need to be produced
FC will determine best value quote
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WF WIG – Road fund application
WF WIG Roads application
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EWGS 1
EWGS 5 – brief detail of eligible operations proposed
Roads fund WIG calculator and ‘Bill of Quantities’
Map(s)
Confirmation of Di Minimis funding
Management Plan – must contain
• Justification of inaccessible area of woodland
• Basic timber volume assessment
Process
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Application submitted – Case registered in GLOS
Proposals checked and specifications agreed
Quotes from 3 civil engineers sought (Case set to WAP)
Best Value quote used as basis for grant offer – Agreement issued
Work completed (by Feb 2014)
EWGS 8a claim form submitted along with receipted invoices
Claim verified and paid on actual costs (before 31 March 2014)
Timber is produced within 5 - 7 years (10 years max), or grant is reclaimed
• Harvesting as per management plan
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WF WIG – Grant offer and claim
For WF WIG Roads:
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Grant offer agreed - based on 60% of best value quote
EWGS contract issued with agreed Grant offer
Grant offer is the maximum that can be claimed
Once work is completed:
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Claim is made based on receipts and invoices (actual costs)
FC will only contribute 60% of actual costs
Grant offer in GLOS is changed to match with actual costs
Claim is then paid on 60% of actual costs
Inspection of the new infrastructure
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WF WIG – Example Grant offer & claim
Example:
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Civil engineering quote suggests
EWGS Grant offer (60% contribution)
£25k project
£15k
EWGS contract is issued with Grant offer
Work is undertaken and completed
Applicant submits claim with receipted invoices
• Receipts & Invoices total (actual costs)
£22k
• EWGS Grant offer adjusted (in GLOS) 60% of actual costs £13.2k
• EWGS claim paid
£13.2k
NB: Actual costs cannot exceed original Grant offer in GLOS
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WF WIG – Amendments
Amendments
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Limited lifespan for WF WIG
• prevents rescheduling
• if claim year missed, unlikely that claim can be paid
However, some amendments are possible - where
• Significant changes to road cost are identified after EWGS agreement signed
• Applicant and FC can agree amendment to specification
• Funds remain available
Then,
• Adjustments can be made to the EWGS contract
• EWGS contracts resigned as normal
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