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SB1: Scrub control and felling diseased trees

Natural England

May 15
12:30 2024

How much will be paid

Payment rates

Method of removal Stem diameter Percentage covered per ha Payment per ha
Machine cut Less than 7cm Under 50% 375
Machine cut Less than 7cm 50% and over 750
Machine cut 7cm and above Under 50% 750
Machine cut 7cm and above 50% and over 1,500
Manual cut Not applicable Under 50% 1,408.75
Manual cut Not applicable 50% and over 2,424.20

Where to use this item

It is available for Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier, Higher Tier Capital Grants and Woodland Tree Health only:

  • to control or manage scrub with the agreement of Natural England (NE) or the Forestry Commission (FC)
  • to remove immature trees that could spread disease and that cannot be economically felled with the agreement of the FC

You can use this item on the same area as TE12: stump grinding and WD2: woodland improvement.

How this item will benefit the environment

It will restore or maintain priority habitats and protect historic or archaeological features. It will prevent disease spreading from infected sites to the wider environment.

Requirements

You must agree:

  • when to carry out the work
  • whether to cut by hand or machine
  • what to do with stumps
  • how to dispose of cut material
  • how to control regrowth and injurious weeds
  • how to fell all diseased trees within an agreed area
  • to remove non-symptomatic trees to reduce the risk of disease (as agreed with the adviser)
  • what biosecurity measures to use to avoid transferring disease to other sites

Keeping records

You must get any relevant consents before you apply for this item. This may include:

  • a felling licence from the Forestry Commission
  • consent from NE to use the item on a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)
  • consent from Historic England to use the item on a Scheduled Monument

You do not need to send the consents with your application, but you will need to send any that are required to with your payment claim.

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

  • photographs of the completed work
  • a felling licence from the Forestry Commission

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

  • consent from NE to use the item on a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)
  • consent from Historic England to use the item on a Scheduled Monument
  • any consents or permissions connected with the work (in addition to the ones listed above)
  • receipted invoices or bank statements where a receipted invoice is unavailable
  • records of when the scrub control was carried out
  • a record of any pesticide or herbicide treatments, including dates and locations
  • a woodland management plan indicating the need for scrub control, if the scrub control takes place in woodland - this does not apply to diseased trees
  • an Implementation Plan or Feasibility Study, if applicable, setting out the need for scrub control
  • photographs of the trees/scrub, before works start

Please see the record keeping and inspection requirements as set out in the relevant Higher Tier or Higher Tier 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 item TE12 - Stump grinding

Advice and suggestions for how to carry out this item

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

Definitions of scrub, diseased trees and immature trees

Scrub means any woody shrubs, including European gorse, bramble and young trees. It does not include dwarf or western gorse, so this item cannot be used to control those species.

To be eligible under this grant, diseased trees are defined as immature Larch infected with Phytophthora ramorum subject to a Statutory Plant Health Notice (SPHN) or immature Douglas Fir or Western Hemlock infected with Phytophthora pluvialis subject to a Statutory Plant Health Notice (SPHN).

An immature tree is one that is up to 25 years old.

When to use this item

With this item, cut scrub or trees manually or with a machine. Manual removal is carried out on foot, with a clearing saw or chainsaw, and machine cutting from a cab, by a tractor fitted with a flail.

This item can be used:

  • if scrub is encroaching on to species-rich grassland
  • around archaeological sites or historic features
  • if species that depend on managed scrub are present, for example turtle dove and brown hairstreak
  • within woodland to create permanent or temporary open areas

How to remove scrub

To remove scrub:

  • cut scrub to ground level
  • dont disturb roots or leave protruding stems
  • use item TE12 - Stump grinding
  • keep the site free of scrub for the rest of the agreement

What to do with diseased trees

If you have an SPHN for diseased trees, they must follow the guidance in the SPHN. If there isnt an SPHN, fell all infected trees in the contract area and follow the FCs biosecurity guidance.

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).

Further information

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

Published 2 April 2015
Last updated 15 May 2024 +show all updates
  1. Text in 'Where to use this item' section has been updated.

  2. This item is now available for Higher Tier Capital Grants

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