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The tree health pilot (THP) scheme grants help slow the spread of tree pests and diseases. This guidance is for applicants and agreement holders in 2022.

The tree health pilot (THP) scheme 2022 is now closed for new applications.

This guidance is for those who applied in 2022 and THP scheme 2022 agreement holders.

Read the latest information about applying to the current tree health pilot scheme which is open for applications.

The tree health pilot (THP) scheme 2022 will test different ways of slowing the spread of pests and diseases affecting trees in England.

It expands on support already available through the Countryside Stewardship woodland tree health grant.

The results of the pilot, which runs from August 2021 to 2024, will help develop the future funding policy for tree health schemes.

Around 100 grant agreements will be allocated through a competitive application process.

The THP scheme is for people in certain regions of England who manage specific trees or woodlands infected by specific pests and diseases.

You can apply as an individual or on behalf of other people for a group grant (for example, if you’re from a local council, a charity or you’re a land agent).

You’ll usually be invited to take part in the pilot because you’ve been contacted by a Forestry Commission woodland officer. This will be because you have a specific tree, pest or disease on your land. For example, you might have been given a Statutory Plant Health Notice (SPHN) for trees infected by one of the specified pests or diseases.

If you’ve not been contacted by a Forestry Commission woodland officer and you read this guidance and think you’re eligible, you can express your interest to take part in the scheme.

If you are applying as an individual to take part in the THP scheme, you must be a:

To take part in the pilot scheme, the trees or woodlands you, or your group (if relevant), manage must have one or more of the following:

The trees or woodlands you manage must be based in one of the following regions of England:

Priority may be given to applications within:

If you’re not sure which region your trees or woodlands are located in, check the Area and Woodland Officer boundaries map.

If you already get funding from other agri-environment or woodland schemes, you can still take part in the THP scheme. The activities for the pilot must be different to the activities you’re already getting funding for. You cannot get paid twice for the same work or activities.

Do not spend money on any pilot activities before you have signed a grant agreement. If you do the work before the agreement is signed, you will lose the opportunity to get a grant.

If you join the THP scheme, you’ll get a grant to help pay back some of the costs of carrying out work, for example, to remove and replace diseased trees. The scheme covers trees both in woodlands and outside of woodlands, depending on the grant you apply for.

The Forestry Commission may change, add or remove tree types or pests and diseases, grants or rates of payment, throughout the duration of the pilot. Your grant agreement will not be affected by changes the Forestry Commission makes to the pilot after you’ve signed it.

If you’re applying for trees in a woodland, the group of trees you’re applying for must:

Trees outside of woodlands are any trees or small woods which cover an area of less than 0.5 hectares. For example, trees in hedgerows, along a road or in parks.

Your grant application must have a minimum funding value of £500. Use the payment tables under each tree type to work out how much you want to apply for.

Some grants cover up to a percentage of ‘actual costs’ and others are based on ‘standard costs’. The payment tables will show you whether it’s one or the other.

Actual costs means the total amount it costs for you to carry out the work or buy goods and services.

Standard costs means a fixed rate which has been worked out based on the average market prices for buying or doing something.

For actual costs, you will need to provide the Forestry Commission with:

For standard costs you will only need to provide the Forestry Commission with photographic evidence of funded items and any activities. You will not need to provide evidence of incurred expenditure.

To be eligible for Tree Health Pilot funding, your site(s) must be deemed uneconomical by the Forestry Commission.

If you have felling operations that generate income potential, the Forestry Commission will perform an economic assessment. The assessment will establish whether you can sell your timber and recover your felling costs.

If the assessment shows the cost of felling can be recovered from the sale of your timber, your site will be deemed economical. You will be advised your site(s) is ineligible for the pilot.

If the assessment shows the cost of felling cannot be recovered from the sale of your timber, your site will be deemed uneconomical. You will be invited to apply for conditional funding, if you meet all other pilot eligibility criteria.

If there is uncertainty over the economic status of your site(s) due to market fluctuations, you can apply for pilot funding. However, if your application is successful, the Forestry Commission will perform a full economic assessment on your site(s) when you claim. The outcome of the economic assessment will determine whether or not you receive funding.

When you claim, you will need to provide the Forestry Commission with:

The Forestry Commission will calculate your financial losses, funding up to the agreement value in your grant offer letter. If your income exceeds your expenditure (no financial loss is incurred) you will not receive pilot funding. You can read more information at Annex 2B in the Tree health pilot scheme: grant funding agreement terms and conditions.

This grant supports a facilitator bringing together a group of people, to better understand the risks and hazards of oak processionary moth on their trees in the Established Area (see the map of the Established Area within London and the South East).

The facilitator will get financial support and advice to create a group OPM management plan. The plan will set out site-specific actions for individual group members and also area-based actions for the whole group.

If you would like to request a copy of the OPM management plan, email: thpilotenquiries@forestrycommission.gov.uk

Groups will also be supported by the Forestry Commission-run OPM workshops. Group members can learn from specialists and ask questions about how to manage oak trees with OPM and the risks they pose.

To apply for this grant you will need to:

You can apply for a grant to pay back the costs of:

You can only apply for these grants as part of a group application. Grants apply to ash with ash dieback, either roadside or along public footpaths, in and outside of woodlands.

There are no grants for felling ash with ash dieback. There are grants available to help with other costs associated with felling roadside ash, such as road closure costs.

If you need to fell ash trees, you’ll need to get a felling licence, unless the Forestry Commission confirms the ash trees are dangerous and exempt. Read about managing ash trees affected by ash dieback.

If you need to improve access to trees as you carry out work, you can apply for a road closure grant to pay for road closure costs. You’ll need to contact your local council to find out how road closures work and how much they cost in your area.

You can apply for grants to pay back the costs of:

Use the table to work out which grants you want to apply for.

You can apply as an individual or as a group for grants for larch trees with Phytophthora ramorum in woodlands (more than 0.5ha).

If you own a group of larch trees (less than 0.5ha) infected with Phytophthora ramorum, you can apply as part of a group application. The total area of the larch trees in the group must be 0.5ha or larger.

Grants for individuals will pay back the costs of:

You cannot get a restocking or capital items grant as part of an individual application for larch trees with Phytophthora ramorum in this pilot. You can apply for these grants through the Countryside Stewardship woodland tree health grant.

Grants for groups will pay back the same costs as the grants for individuals and:

Use the table to work out which grants you want to apply for.

You can apply as an individual or a group for these grants. Grants apply to spruce with, or at risk of, eight-toothed spruce bark beetle in and outside of woodlands.

A number of non-competitive agreements will be available for sites under SPHN with eight-toothed spruce bark beetle. There are a limited number of these agreements, so when they run out, applications will be scored.

To apply, you’ll either:

You can get these grants to pay back the costs of:

Use the table to work out which grants you want to apply for.

You can apply as an individual or as a group for these grants. Grants apply to sweet chestnut trees with Phytophthora ramorum or sweet chestnut blight in and outside of woodlands.

Individual grants will pay back the costs of:

While you cannot get a restocking or capital items grant for individual applications as part of this pilot, you can apply for grants through the Countryside Stewardship woodland tree health grant.

Group grants will pay for everything that individual grants cover and:

You can apply for individual or group grants to pay back the costs of:

Use the table to work out which grants you want to apply for.

Where eligible, you can use this grant to pay back what you spend on biosecurity items. Biosecurity is important when entering land or premises where there is a risk of spreading harmful organisms, such as:

Biosecurity protocols also extend to:

The THP scheme is looking for landowners and agents to take biosecurity measures on sites that host a damaging tree pest or disease.

Check the items you need to uphold good biosecurity practices for sites infected (diseases) or infested (insect pests) by:

A personal biosecurity kit is basic cleaning equipment to use when entering and leaving sites on:

The kit should be available on all site visits regardless of what pests or diseases are present. It should contain:

Owners of infested trees should get tree or pest control professionals to survey and manage oak trees affected by OPM.

The THP scheme does not support the hire or purchase of biosecurity capital items to manage OPM.

Where eligible, you can use these grants to improve access to woodlands so you can fell and remove the timber.

Some examples or works which could be eligible for funding include:

You’ll need to make sure the work you do meets the legal standards for roads and tracks. For more information, read the guidance on improving infrastructure.

You can also use the money to hire access aids, which includes items such as:

You’ll need to provide detailed plans, including maps and quotes, for the proposed work, to apply for an infrastructure grant.

Where eligible, you can use these grants to pay back what you spend on items from this list.

From 22 June 2022, you will only be eligible for a restocking grant if you use plant suppliers that meet the Plant Health Management Standard.

You must tell the Forestry Commission which supplier you intend to buy trees from, in your application. (You may change which supplier you use later, this will not affect your application.)

The supplier must demonstrate that they meet the Plant Health Management Standard by providing either of the following:

The certification number showing their current membership of the Plant Healthy Certification scheme or an application number to show they have applied to become certified. Find the certified Plant Healthy suppliers on the directory of certified businesses.

A successful Ready to Plant (RtP) assessment voucher with a unique reference number. For the supplier to apply for an RtP assessment, you will need to provide them with your THP agreement reference number when you order your trees. Each RtP assessment voucher applies to one THP grant agreement. If you have multiple agreements, your supplier will need to apply for a separate RtP assessment voucher for each one.

You will need to provide either of these pieces of evidence when you claim for your trees.

The tree health pilot scheme for 2022 is now closed to applications. Read the latest information about applying for future tree health pilot schemes.

As a THP scheme participant, you’ll be asked to provide feedback for the duration of your agreement.

We will ask you to:

Your feedback will help contribute towards the design of future tree health schemes.

Read the technical guidance for more information about carrying out the funded work, good practice guidelines and advice such as record keeping. There’s advice for:

Don’t include personal or financial information like your National Insurance number or credit card details.

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