Governance
Four options for the Single Legal Entity. The Consortium chooses at the 30 April workshop.
Each of these four options is a real choice with real consequences for how the scheme is governed, who sits at the table, and how the 18 landowners’ interests are protected over 20 years. None is the “right” answer in the abstract — the right answer is the one the arrives at together.
The () holds the contract on behalf of the Consortium. The Consortium is choosing between four SLE governance options. Each carries different trade-offs around control, flexibility, asset protection, and regulatory overhead.
The four options
Option 1 — Charity-Led
The Scheme operates as a programme within Yorkshire Wildlife Trust.
Option 2 — Wholly Owned Subsidiary
The Scheme operates through a wholly owned trading subsidiary of YWT.
Option 3 — Community Interest Company
The Scheme operates through a CIC with statutory asset lock.
Option 4 — Subsidiary CIC
A CIC subsidiary of YWT, with YWT as permanent corporate director.
What this means for your holding
Whichever option is chosen, your land stays yours. The governance structure determines who holds the DEFRA contract and how scheme-level decisions are made — not what happens on your holding. Your delivery plan is agreed with you individually.