BACKGROUND

This insurance scheme was originally set-up in 1988 by the then National Small Woods Association through Bervale Mead Insurance Brokers. It has been designed for owners of amenity, leisure & conservation woods up to a maximum of 75 hectares in size (185 acres) who were finding it increasingly difficult to find individual property owner's public liability cover that was not prohibitively expensive.

It is available to all amenity woodland owners, community groups, residents associations, parish councils, tenants, etc., who can buy into the scheme and get the full cover that an individual policy would give but at a much lower cost*.

The standard cover is Woodland Owners Public Liability that indemnifies the insured for accidental bodily injury e.g. to a trespasser or visitor; and loss of or damage to property of a third party e.g. neighbouring property, fences, buildings, etc., up to a limit of £5 million in any one claim.

(*NB: Owners of woods of a commercial nature requiring 'growing timber' cover should click on 'SUMMARY OF COVERS AVAILABLE' from the list on the left hand side).

The block policy runs from 1st July - 30th June annually and this year the cost is set at £106.00 per wood from 1st July 2008, this includes the minimum annual premium charged by the Broker (£75), the government insurance premium tax (£3.75) and the policy holders fee (£27.25), and is irrespective of the size of the woodland or number of owners or whenever you join the scheme. However, if you join the Scheme after 31st December, the cost is reduced to £77 (Broker £48, IPT £2.40 and PHF £26.60) for the remaining six months or any part thereof, until 30th June 2009.

However, the insurance cover does not extend to activities carried out in your wood such as shooting, horse-riding, motor-cycling, orienteering, etc., that  should be insured by the organisation or individual running those activities. Any such activity must be noted on the proposal form under ‘Supplementary Information’.

To take advantage of the scheme please download the proposal form by clicking on the link 'DOWNLOAD PROPOSAL FORM' from the list on the left and send it with your cheque for £106, (or £77 if between 1st January and 30th June), payable to RAP Ltd, to the address above. If you are unable to download the form it can be requested by phone or email and mailed to your address.

There is much more information on the other seven pages. To access any of them just click on the link from the list on the left hand side of the page.