SB2: Scrub control on difficult sites

This item is part of Higher Tier Capital Grants 2025. You must read the Higher Tier Capital Grants 2025 guidance to understand the rules and how to apply.

If you’re applying for this item as part of a Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT) application, you must read the CSHT applicant’s guide to understand the rules and how to apply.

How much you’ll be paid

Up to 80% of actual costs.

How this item benefits the environment

This item:

• restores or maintains priority habitats
• protects historic or archaeological features
• prevents disease spreading from infected sites to the wider environment

Where you can use this item

You can use this item with the agreement of Natural England or the Forestry Commission on sites:

• that need specialist operations or machinery with costs the scheme’s fixed-rate scrub control payments cannot cover – this includes sensitive habitats and areas with difficult or hazardous working conditions (such as steep slopes, bogs and islands)
• where it’s a requirement of an approved Forestry Commission woodland management plan

You can also use this item on the same area as TE12: Stump grinding, CWD2: Woodland improvement and WD2: Woodland improvement.

You cannot use this item:

• to control dwarf and western gorse as these are important parts of heathland
• to manage scrub by grazing

What you must do to use this item

You must:

• agree the specification with Natural England or the Forestry Commission
• provide at least 3 written quotations to complete the work including associated costings with your application
• agree the selected quotation with Natural England or the Forestry Commission
• carry out scrub control during the autumn and winter to the agreed specification
• follow the guidance in the specification on what to do with any stumps and how to dispose of cut material
• control re-growth

You must get any relevant consents before you carry out any work either:

• a felling licence from the Forestry Commission
• consent from Natural England to use the item on a site of special scientific interest (SSSI)
• consent from Historic England to use the item on a scheduled monument

Evidence you must keep

You must keep and provide with your claim:

• receipted invoices or bank statements where a receipted invoice is unavailable
• photographs of the completed work

You must also keep and provide on request:

• any consents or permissions connected with the work
• a record of when the scrub control was carried out
• a record of any pesticide or herbicide treatments (including dates and locations)
• a Forestry Commission approved woodland management plan or a Natural England approved implementation plan or feasibility study (if applicable)
• photographs of site before works start
• the item specification

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.

If you’re applying for this item as part of a Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT) application, read the record keeping and site visit requirements in the CSHT agreement holder’s guide.

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.

You should cut scrub to ground level. You should not disturb the roots or leave protruding stems.