TE12: Stump grinding

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

£96 per stump.

How this item benefits the environment

Stump grinding increases access to sites under actions to restore or manage habitats. This supports the effectiveness of habitat management.

Where you can use this item

With the approval of Natural England, you can only use this item alongside with a management, restoration or creation action or option where tree stumps are restricting access to the site.

You cannot use this item for general tidying up of a site.

What you must do to use this item

You must:

• grind individual tree stumps down to ground level or below
• clean up the site after the works, including removing wood chippings

You must not allow works (including access routes) to compact soil.

You may need to get the agreement of your adviser before infilling depressions with soil or using wood chippings created by the stump grinding as mulch.

Your adviser will adapt the requirements for this item to your site. You should discuss and agree these requirements with them.

Evidence you must keep

You must keep photographs of the completed work and provide them with your claim.

You must also keep and provide on request:

• any consents or permissions connected with the work
• receipted invoices or bank statements where a receipted invoice is unavailable
• photographs of the stumps before works start

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.

The objective is to clear stumps to ground level with minimum impact on the soil. Occasionally there may be a reason to grind stumps below ground level leaving a depression. You can often leave any such depressions and not fill them in with soil from elsewhere. This will avoid disturbing or contaminating sites.