Natural England - Heritage Management Plan grants

Heritage Management Plan grants

Discretionary grants may be available to fund 50% costs of preparing Heritage Management Plans (HMPs) that deliver integrated sustainable management of outstanding land already designated or in the process of designation as conditionally exempt from inheritance tax.

Eligibility

Land of outstanding scenic, historic or scientific interest already designated or in the process of designation as conditionally exempt from inheritance tax.

Benefits

  • Heritage Management Plans (HMP) identify and assess the significant features and aspects of the outstanding land, consider management issues, propose long-term management priorities and set short term (1-5 years), medium term (10 years) and long term (25 years) work programmes.

  • HMPs form the basis for agreement with owners and advisory agencies regarding long term, sustainable integrated management.

  • HMP grants secure good management of outstanding land over a long time scale (normally 25 year plans with 5 yearly reviews) for a relatively small investment of time and money.

Availability

  • Small, discretionary grant scheme budget c. £30,000 allocated annually.

  • Grants operate from 1 April to 31 March annually.

  • Subject to resources, grants are awarded to all applications that meet the grant criteria.

  • Grants are offered until the budget is fully allocated – applications submitted before the grant year begins have a better chance of success than later applications.

Amount

  • Individual Heritage Management Plans typically cost between £6,000 and £12,000, depending upon size of estate and complexity of issues.

  • The HMP grant offers 50% of eligible costs.

  • 50% match funding is required

  • Government grants cannot be used as match funding.

Eligible costs

Consultants’ fees and appropriate expenses incurred in producing:

  • a Heritage Management Plan prepared in accordance with the current guidance “Preparing a Heritage Management Planexternal link”

  • other survey work which may inform or underpin a Heritage Management Plan.

Application process

Contact the Inheritance Tax Exemption team to discuss applying for a HMP grant.

More information

For more information about Heritage Management Plans, please see:

Information on how conditional exemption relates to agri-environment schemes.