TE13: Creation of dead wood habitat on trees
Find out about eligibility and requirements for the creation of dead wood habitat on trees item.
This item is part of Higher Tier Capital Grants 2025. You must read the Capital Grants 2025 guidance to understand the rules and how to apply.
How much you’ll be paid
£285.58 per tree.
How this item benefits the environment
Creating dead wood habitat on trees benefits rare or specialised wildlife where there is a generational gap between veteran trees and their successors.
If successful, it will speed up the process of producing wood decay habitats in younger trees to become veteran trees in the future. This will mimic the natural damage caused by (for example):
- lightning strikes
- branch failure
- woodpecker holes
Where you can use this item
You can use this item with the agreement of Natural England on trees:
- on or next to sites with existing populations of veteran trees
- on land being treated by cutting or extensive grazing to manage the site
- where cover across the area does not exceed 25%
- that do not impede or are impeded by the crown or canopy of existing veteran trees
- that are the same native species and genetic origin as existing native veteran trees in the area
What you must do to use this item
Before you apply, you must get a written assessment and advice on the work required from a qualified arboricultural expert.
The assessment must:
- lay out the intended outcome of the work
- explain how the long-term health and viability of the trees to be cut will be maintained
- explain the requirements for subsequent management
You can pay for this using PA1: Implementation plan or PA2: Feasibility study.
You must:
- remove any existing scrub or secondary growth around the selected trees
- carry out the work as set out in an approved specification or implementation plan
- carry out the work between 1 September and the end of February, using an appropriately qualified arborist
- when pollarding trees, cut them at a height which prevents grazing of re-growth
- make sure you can monitor the trees’ response to cutting by tagging each tree
- keep the deadwood of any tree that dies following work to veteranise the tree and plant a replacement tree of the same native species and genetic origin
You must not use this item for work required for health and safety purposes.
Evidence you must keep
You must keep and provide a map showing the location of mature and veteran standing trees and standing and fallen deadwood with your application.
You must also keep and provide with your claim:
- photographs of the completed work
- a copy of the arboricultural assessment
You must also keep and provide on request:
- any consents or permissions connected with the work
- receipted invoices or bank statements where a receipted invoice is unavailable
- photographs of the trees before works start
- records required of the work undertaken and details of the persons undertaking it and their qualifications
Read the record keeping and site visit requirements in the Agreement holder’s guide: Capital Grants, Higher Tier capital grants and Protection and Infrastructure grants for more information.
Other items and actions you can use with this item
Capital items
You can use this item with these items:
TE2: Planting standard parkland tree
TE7: Tree guard (wood post and rail)
TE8: Tree guard (wood post and wire)
TE9: Parkland tree guard - welded steel
Sustainable Farming Incentive actions
You can use this item with WOD1: Manage wood pasture and parkland.
Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier actions or options
You can use this item with these actions or options:
CWD20: Create wood pasture
CWD21: Restore wood pasture and parkland
CWD22: Manage wood pasture and parkland
WD4: Management of wood pasture and parkland
WD5: Restoration of wood pasture and parkland
Advice to help you use this item
The following advice may help you to use this item, but you do not have to follow it to get paid. It’s not part of this item’s requirements.
Picking the right trees
‘Veteranisation’ or the creation of dead wood habitat on trees may shorten the tree’s life. Only attempt this where there are:
- enough trees in the same area that will not be worked on – your arboricultural expert will agree this number with you
- not enough late-mature trees to provide successors to the veteran trees
Never use this method on trees:
- which are developing wood decay habitat
- with important habitat, for example, on trees that host protected species such as bats
- in parks, towns or other situations where damage may cause safety issues
- ancient or veteran trees
Any intervention needs to be small enough that it does not pose an immediate threat to the tree, allowing survival for many years.
Management
You can use several methods to encourage veteran features on younger trees including:
- cutting the tops of trees that are likely to respond to pollarding
- making holes in live standing trees to initiate rot
- deliberately damaging the bark to induce decay or simulate sap runs
- breaking branches, rather than sawing them off flush or creating ‘coronet’ ends
- increasing water retention in forks and crowns of trees by drilling holes
The person providing the advice and tree management report should be either:
- a certified veteran tree specialist at practicing or consulting level as part of the VETcert tree management standard
- a member of the Arboricultural Association at professional level or higher and ideally experienced in working in veteran tree management
The person cutting the tree should be an appropriately qualified arboricultural expert, defined as either:
- an individual who has achieved an RQF (Regulated Qualifications Framework) Level 4 qualification or higher in Arboriculture – this means at least the Level 4 Award in Arboriculture or its predecessor the Level 3 Technicians Certificate in Arboriculture
- a member of the Arboricultural Association at Technician level or higher
Planting new trees
If a tree dies following this work, you must replace it with a tree of the same species and genetic origin. You must plant any replacement tree where there is enough room to grow an open crown.
Consents and permissions
Check if you need:
- consent or permission to carry out work Tree Preservation Orders (TPOs) and Conservation Orders may apply to the trees on site
- a licence from Natural England may be needed for work on old trees
Creating veteran features
Follow the advice on the VETree website for creating veteran features.
Updates to this page
Published 2 April 2015Last updated 3 February 2025 + show all updates
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General improvement for clarity.
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It item is now available for Higher Tier Capital Grants
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Additional guidance and advice section added to explain this option can form part of an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach to prevent the establishment of pests, weeds and diseases.
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The Keeping records section of this page has been updated
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Updated for 2017 applications.
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Information updated for applications in 2016.
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First published.