Form

LATF post-planting report guidance

Updated 12 August 2024

Applies to England

• Publication for Northern Ireland
• Publication for Scotland
• Publication for Wales

Instructions

If you are claiming under the Local Authority Treescapes Fund (LATF), you must familiarise yourself with the following evidence requirements before you begin planting.
This will:

• help you collect appropriate evidence at the time of planting
• make it easier to collect this retrospectively when preparing your end of financial year post-planting report (PPR) and claim

The Lead LA is responsible for ensuring all delivery partners collect the required PPR data by following this guidance.

Please download the latest LATF post planting report and claim form spreadsheet.

You must then follow the steps provided in this guidance:

• complete the tables in each tab
• ensure you check and sign the PPR declaration tab
• ensure your PPR is accompanied by logically titled map and photo files that clearly correspond to each planting site, supporting evidence not clearly labelled may result in a delay to your claim being paid (read more about supporting evidence
• submit by email to LATF@forestrycommission.gov.uk by 31 March of the financial year in which planting/natural colonisation work takes place

PPR claims received after 31 March of the financial year end will not be paid.

Planting information

Table 1.1

1). Enter your LATF Planting Year and Financial Year in the top left of the table.

2). If you have opted for one year of planting only and need an extension, please enter ‘Yes’ in the associated dropdown box in the top left table. We will assume you will fulfil the agreement in tree numbers, however please contact us if you are unable to meet the full agreement in tree numbers.

Table 1.2

1). Column F: enter the names of all conifer species you have planted and intend to plant. You can select an item from the list provided, or manually enter a species.

2). Column G: select from the Drop Down whether the tree(s) have been planted within this financial year or are still to be planted before the end of the financial year.

3). Column H: specify the nursery these trees were sourced from.

4). Column I: specify the total number of whips planted or intended to be planted.

5). Column J: specify the total number of feathers planted or intended to be planted.

6). Column K: specify the total number of standard planted or intended to be planted.

Table 1.3

Repeat the above actions for all broadleaf species.

Table 1.4

Enter all other Capital Items you have used and intend to use. You can select an item from the list provided, or manually enter an item.

1). Column F: specify if you have acquired and used these items as part of your project, or not yet acquired and used these items.

2). Column G: specify how many items you have used or intend to use.

Planting locations

Table 2.1

In the ‘Planting Locations’ sheet, please provide all information regarding your planting area.

1). Column B: specify names for all your planting locations. If your planting location is at a school site, please specify this in the site name.

2). Column C: confirm if this is a Natural Colonisation or Planting Site.

3). Column D: enter the planting date for this site.

4). Column E: specify the total area the planting location will cover in hectares. No planting location may exceed 0.5ha (hectares).

5). Column F: specify if this site is publicly accessible.

6). Column G: provide the National Grid Reference for the most central location of the planting site.

7). Columns H, I and J: specify the total number of broadleaf trees to be planted at the site.

8). Columns L, M and N: specify the total number of conifers to be planted at the site.

9). Column P: specify the names for the maps provided of your planting location(s).

10). Column Q: specify if your proposed planting sites fall on land located within Lower Super Output Areas (LSOAs) or Medium Super Output Areas (MSOAs) which are within the 25% most deprived according to the national Index of Multiple Deprivation. Learn more about LSOAs and MSOAs.

Contributions in kind

This section aims to capture details of contributions in kind, which may have supported your planting works before the end of the financial year.

1. Column C: list the items or activities which have been contributed or are due to contribute to your project. This can include physical items such as planting tools or equipment. But can also include activities, for example volunteering work or subsidised labouring costs for planting work.

2. Column D: outline the name(s) of the organisations or individuals who have either provided the items listed or arranged or carried out the supporting activities. If an organisation has arranged certain activities, for example volunteering hours, but the work was carried out or is due to be carried out by other individuals, please name the organisation(s) in this column and briefly highlight the nature of the work in the comments column – Column G.

3. Column E: if applicable, specify the quantity of items contributed. Similarly, please specify the amount of time received in supported activities. Add up the total hours of volunteering, even if provided by multiple individuals. Use days or hours as the units of measurement. If you are unsure of the exact time yet to be worked, please provide the hours you have already received, and highlight in the notes section any rough estimates of how many working hours you are yet to receive.

4. Column F: specify if the contributions have been made, are ongoing, or are due.

5. Column G: space is provided for relevant comments relating to the contributions you have listed. This may include dates, information such as the number of individuals who have helped, a certain type of volunteering scheme used, or a reason why a company may have contributed items to your project.

6. The Contribution in Kind notes section below the table, provides more space for notes should you need it. Please make clear which contribution you are referring to if you need to use this space. The information provided in this section is for internal purposes only and will not contribute towards the outcome of the PPR assessment.

Declarations

1. In the PPR declaration sheet, tick the boxes and sign your name and date to confirm you understand all items and activities recorded in the document to be accurate and have provided all necessary additional evidence before proceeding.
2. Please also complete a Non-RDPE claims declaration form (this is required for claims across all Non-RDPE grants).

Supporting evidence

Supporting evidence, such as photos and maps, must be organised to clearly show which photos and maps are linked to each planting site named in the PPR. This will minimise delays in claim payment and is best achieved by including sub-folders for each planting site within a zip file.  

We can accept separate photo and map files for each planting site or maps for each site with a photo embedded. See the example materials for more information.

Mapping

To help support the information you have provided on the PPR you must provide site specific maps showing your planting areas. A map should be attached for every planting site you have recorded.

Make sure you include maps for both:

• planting works that have already been completed
• works that are due to be completed between your PPR submission date and the end of the financial year (31 March)

You can use (Geographic Information System) GIS maps, your own map if it meets the standards below, or a base map requested through the Forestry Commission’s Map Request Service. If you use this service, the Forestry Commission will supply a blank base map for you to mark up by hand to show your proposal.

If you need a map from our Map Request Service, please request it as early as possible. We will supply base maps to applicants either by post or via email. We will not accept screenshots from internet map browsers, such as Google Maps, as base maps.

When creating a map, you must comply with the following rules:

• maps must be based on a scale of 1:2,500 or 1:5,000
• map must show all the land on which LATF planting has been undertaken
• boundary of the site must be clearly marked by a coloured line
• location of the completed or proposed work must be shown and marked with a shaded/hatched area or as individual trees, with the number of trees planted in the area listed next to each location
• site name (as detailed on the PPR) must be shown
• include a minimum 6 figure OS grid reference for the centre of the map, either on the map or in the PPR itself
• map number and total number of maps (for example, ‘1 of 3’) must be visible
• give the map file a title that clearly matches the site name or ID listed in the PPR

Photographic evidence

At this stage of the funding process you must provide relevant photos relating to planting works completed by end of the financial year.

Photos must be submitted for each planting site and all capital items, clearly demonstrating the amount of planting that has taken place.

Photos must identify the tree planting concerned. It is your responsibility to have sufficient evidence that the investment or required management has taken place. For example, more than one photo may be needed where the work exceeds the frame or is not clearly evident from a single photo.

Single photos of each individual tree are not required, provided that all trees planted are evidenced within the photos taken. This will be more practical for larger-scale planting of feathers and whips. It may reduce the number of photos needed for standards if, for example, they are planted along a street and can all be identified and photographed from one angle.

Labelling photos

As a minimum, give each photo file a title that matches exactly the site name or ID provided in the map and PPR. This will help us to quickly identify which site the photo corresponds to. 

Label photos with: 

• the Ordnance Survey (OS) National Grid reference 
• planting site name or ID 
• LATF agreement reference 
• the date

If you are sending more than one image, also include the image number.

Photographic evidence quality

Requirements apply equally to digital photos or those supplied as printed photos. All photos must meet the following standards:

• be in focus and clearly show the relevant capital item or environmental feature
• if you send your images by email, please send as JPEG files
• digital images should not be smaller than 600 x 400 pixels and ideally the image file size no larger than 400KB
• printed photos must be no smaller than 15 cm x 10 cm
• where possible, include a significant feature to provide authenticity (for example, building, road, pathway)

Example materials 

The following images show an excellent example of supporting evidence provided by a previous applicant as part of their PPR submission. It combines a precise location, species and photo. This type of evidence is most easily recorded at the time of planting or during a maintenance round. 

A 1:2:500 scale street map showing trees and site boundaries. Reproduced with permission from Cambridgeshire County Council

A screenshot of an example application. It includes a photo of a tree along with other details such as OS coordinates and site size. Reproduced with permission from Cambridgeshire County Council

Final steps

1. Complete the claim sections of the spreadsheet form and follow the instructions detailed on each tab.

2. Email your completed Post Planting Report & Claim to LATF@forestrycommission.gov.uk with your maps and photos attached to the email in a zip file. Please ensure you quote your LATF reference number and make clear that the email is your PPR submission in the subject line and body of your email.