TE4: Supply and plant tree

Find out about eligibility and requirements for the supply and plant tree item.

From:
Rural Payments Agency and Natural England
Published
2 April 2015
Last updated
7 November 2023 — See all updates
Grant type:
Capital item
Land use:
Air quality, Biodiversity, Trees (non-woodland), Uplands and Woodland
Tiers or standalone items:
Higher Tier, Mid Tier and Standalone capital items
Funding (per unit per year):
Up to £100

How much will be paid

£1.72 per tree.

Payment for creating new woodland

You can be paid up to £6,800 per hectare (ha) if you use this item to create new woodland.

Payments for restocking after a tree health issue

If you are restocking woodland where trees have been infected by Chalara (Hymenoscyphus fraxinea), Phytophthora ramorum, Phytopthora pluvialis, or Sweet chestnut blight (Cryphonectria parasitica) you will be paid up to the following amounts.

Restock tree species Ancient woodland site Other
Native £6,000 per ha £4,720 per ha
Non-native £3,000 per ha £3,850 per ha

The native cap applies where over 80% of restocked trees are native tree species. If over 20% of restocked trees are non-native species, the non-native cap applies.

For confirmation on which tree species are classed as native or non-native, please check with your woodland officer.

Woodland officers can also advise on suitable restocking species for specific sites, in line with applicable felling licence conditions, and the UK Forestry Standard UKFS. Additional information is available at Replacing trees after felling due to pests and diseases.

Support is only available if trees are infected by Chalara, Phytophthora ramorum, Phytopthora pluvialis, or Sweet chestnut blight.

The Forestry Commission (FC) or the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) must confirm cases of Chalara. Phytophthora ramorum, Phytopthora pluvialis or sweet chestnut blight infection has to be confirmed by a statutory plant health notice (SPHN).

Where to use this item

It’s available for Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier, Woodland Tree Health and Woodland Creation grants on:

  • bare land (any land that has not been woodland for at least 10 years before the date of application)
  • woodland (following felling due to a plant health disease)
  • hedgerows

You can use this item to plant single trees, clumps of trees, hedgerows or woodlands.

It’s also available for Countryside Stewardship Mid Tier and Capital Grants, with Catchment Sensitive Farming (CSF) approval only, for:

  • planting tree shelter belts for ammonia capture from slurry or digestate stores, livestock housing or free-range areas for poultry or pig to improve air quality
  • tree shelter belt to be planted within 20 metres (m) of the livestock building or the slurry or digestate stores and/or in the entire ranging area for free range poultry or pigs

Where this item cannot be used

  • If tree planting could damage areas of ecological, archaeological or historic interest
  • To plant woodland for producing Christmas trees or biomass
  • For restocking woodlands following a conditional felling licence (except where this has been issued for tree health reasons)
  • To plant ash trees

How this item benefits the environment

It will help create a range of environmental and social benefits that:

  • supports wildlife, particularly when new woodland links habitats or creates a protective buffer
  • reduces the risk of floods, improves water quality and prevents soil erosion
  • is resilient and can adapt to climate change
  • enhances the landscape
  • improves air quality by trees capturing ammonia emissions from livestock, slurry and digestate, reducing the impact on sensitive habitats and species and on human health

Requirements

Prepare a woodland creation plan

When creating new woodland you must prepare a woodland creation plan (included in the application) that states the following.

  • Planting objectives
  • Species to be used
  • Planting density (the number of trees per hectare)
  • Percentage of open space and means of protection (fencing or individual tree guards as appropriate)
  • Areas to be planted and any areas of open space within the woodland (provide a map showing this information)

Creating or restocking woodland

If you are planting trees to create new woodland or to restock woodland you must follow the requirements in the table below. Read Replace trees after felling due to pests and diseases for more information on replacing trees in plantations on ancient woodland sites (PAWS).

Dimensions Create new woodland Create new woodland to improve water or air quality or reduce flood risk Restock after a tree health issue Plant tree shelter belt/area under Mid Tier or Capital Grant
Minimum agreement size 3ha 1ha 0.25ha **  
Minimum block size 0.5ha 0.1ha 0.1ha **  
Minimum width 20 metres (m) 10m 20m Width of livestock shed or store and/or free range area ** **depends on source of ammonia and effectiveness of capture by trees - see below
Minimum depth       20m** or free range area  
Minimum stocking density *1100 stems per ha (sph) 1,600sph *1100sph Main canopy 1100 sph Backstop canopy 2500 sph *In exceptional circumstances, where there will be a specific biodiversity benefit, you may be able to use a reduced stocking density of 400sph.
Maximum internal open space 20% 20% 20% 0  
Maximum individual glade area (after canopy closure) 0.5ha 0.5ha 0.5ha    
Maximum linear open space width (after canopy closure) 20m 20m   0  

Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations

(For Mid Tier and Capital grants only. For Higher Tier this is part of the Woodland Creation and Maintenance Grant application)

1. Check whether you need a forestry Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) based on your location and size of planting area, by referring to the guidance in the link below. Generally:

  1. a) planting less than 0.5ha will never require an EIA as this does not meet the definition of ‘afforestation’

  2. b) planting between 0.5ha and 2ha will typically not require an EIA application to be made, unless there is a statutory designation on the site (for example, Site of Special Scientific Interest), or other environmental sensitivity (for example, local archaeology)

  3. c) planting more than 2ha will typically require an EIA application

2. Where relevant apply to the Forestry Commission for an EIA decision for afforestation

Tree planting for capturing ammonia emissions to improve air quality

1. Prepare a tree planting plan designed to capture ammonia from livestock housing, slurry or digestate stores (tree shelter belts) and/or ranging area for free range pig or poultry

  1. Request advice from your Catchment Sensitive Farming Officer, only available if you are in a High Priority Area for Water or Air Quality

  2. You will need CSF approval for your application for tree planting for improving air quality. This is only available if you are in a high priority area for water quality. CSF approval will be based on the effectiveness of the proposed tree planting for capturing ammonia emissions from a slurry/digestate store, livestock housing and/or free range poultry/pigs, in order to reduce the impact of ammonia on sensitive habitats and species.

  3. Use guidance and tree calculator for ammonia mitigation

2. Plant the tree shelter belts and/or ranging area based on the design plan with size, spacing and species recommended in the advice and guidance provided, to be effective for capturing ammonia emissions.

You must:

  • supply, plant and weed young trees
  • use tree species appropriate for the soil and climatic conditions that support the planting objectives
  • select planting stock that complies with the Forest Reproductive Material Regulations 2002 (where applicable) and is appropriate in size and stock type to site and prevailing conditions
  • create a suitable planting position by spraying herbicide in advance, scarifying in lines or preparing a bare patch of land (screefing) with a spade
  • use a planting method that helps survival, with roots fully inserted in the ground with the root collar at ground level - the tree must be firmed in without damaging the stem
  • protect young trees by attaching a 0.6m spiral secured with a cane (first check and agree this with an adviser, not required for conifer planting and in exceptional cases not required for broadleaved trees but only with the written agreement with the FC Woodland Officer)
  • plant trees when dormant and attach the spiral guard immediately
  • maintain spirals until the trees are big enough to no longer need protection
  • stop livestock and other grazing animals from damaging the trees - use protective fencing or individual guards as needed (if using tree shelters, these will replace spiral guards)
  • remove the spiral and cane when no longer needed and dispose of or recycle them in line with waste disposal regulations
  • replace all dead plants in the following planting season (each grant funded tree must be alive and in good condition by the end of an agreement)

Keep trees weed-free

You must protect trees must from competing weeds for 3 years, or until they are big enough not to be threatened by competition from weeds.

You can do this by using suitable mulch, an appropriate herbicide or weeding by hand. You must follow relevant laws and codes of practice if spraying.

Keeping records

You must keep the following records and supply them with your payment claim.

  • Photographs of the completed work

You must keep the following records and supply them on request.

  • Any consents or permissions connected with the work
  • Receipted invoices, or bank statements where a receipted invoice is unavailable

You do not need a woodland creation plan for planting:

  • following a tree health issue
  • single trees
  • in hedgerows

The detailed requirements for this item will be tailored to the planting site. You should discuss and agree these requirements with your adviser.

Please see the record keeping and inspection requirements as set out in the relevant Mid Tier, Higher Tier or Capital Grants guidance for more detail. You can find the latest guidance at Countryside Stewardship: get funding to protect and improve the land you manage.

You can use this item on the same area as the following items.

Speak to a Forestry Commission adviser about locating other options on a site.

Advice and suggestions for how to carry out this item

The following advice is helpful but they are not requirements for this item.

Selecting tree species

Select a tree species for the site that suits the management objectives, local soil, and current and predicted climate conditions. Use the FC tree species selection tool to find the right species and estimate yield class.

Additional guidance and advice

Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

This option can form part of an IPM approach to prevent the establishment of pests, weeds and diseases. If successful, appropriate and within proximity of cropped areas, these may limit the need for the use of Plant Protection Products and enhance wildlife and biodiversity on your holding. Read information on IPM at AHDB (Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board) Integrated Pest Management and LEAF (Linking Environment and Farming).

Biodiversity

This item has been identified as being beneficial for biodiversity. All Countryside Stewardship habitat creation, restoration and management options are of great significance for biodiversity recovery, as are the wide range of arable options in the scheme. Capital items and supplements can support this habitat work depending on the holding’s situation and potential.

The connectivity of habitats is also very important and habitat options should be linked wherever possible. Better connectivity will allow wildlife to move/colonise freely to access water, food, shelter and breeding habitat, and will allow natural communities of both animals and plants to adapt in response to environmental and climate change.

Further information

Read Countryside Stewardship: get funding to protect and improve the land you manage to find out more information about Mid Tier, Higher Tier and Capital Grants including how to apply.

Updates to this page

Published 2 April 2015
Last updated 7 November 2023 + show all updates

  1. Removal of text confirming TE4 Supply and plant tree availability under Countryside Stewardship Capital Grants (SFI pilot), as the SFI Capital offer is no longer available.

  2. 'Payments for restocking after a tree health issue' table has been updated with new caps.

  3. The Payments for restocking after a tree health issue and Creating or restocking woodland sections have been updated

  4. Edited to confirm the standards under CS Capital Grants (SFI pilot) that the item is available for.

  5. 'Where to use this item' section updated to include detail on SFI pilot. 'Tree planting for capturing ammonia emissions to improve air quality' - update to 6th bullet point. 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.

  6. Option updated for Capital Grants agreements starting from 9 February 2021, and Higher Tier and Mid Tier agreements starting from 1 January 2022.

  7. Page updated to show latest record keeping

  8. Updated for 2017 applications.

  9. Information updated for applications in 2016.

  10. First published.

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