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TE15

Plant groups of trees in large guards

CS Higher Tier open_in_new View on RPA Website

£572.78

per large guard · one-off

info Summary

This Higher Tier Capital Grant item provides funding to plant groups of trees within large guards, protecting them from grazing animals to facilitate the development of scrub, wood pasture, and tree patches, thereby enhancing landscape connectivity. It must be used alongside specific management actions for scrub or wood pasture creation/management.

format_list_bulleted What to do

  • Erect large guards (3.6m x 3.6m, at least 1.2m high) with 4 untreated timber corner posts, 4 intermediate posts, and 5 untreated wooden rails (at least 5cm width, 10cm height).
  • Use robust guards to withstand livestock damage.
  • Plant at least 80 trees within each guard using pit planting.
  • Select planting stock compliant with Forest Reproductive Material Regulations 2002 and appropriate for the site.
  • Plant a maximum of 24 large tree guards per hectare.
  • Plant a mix of native tree species appropriate for soil and climatic conditions, including:
    • At least 50 blackthorn or hawthorn within the outer edge.
    • At least 20 native shrub species (e.g., hazel, bird cherry, aspen, crab apple).
    • At least 10 native canopy forming species (e.g., oak, birch, rowan).

checklist How to do and evidence required

tips_and_updates Additional Advice

  • Consider using a mix of 10 to 15 large guards and 15 to 20 small guards per hectare (combined maximum 30 guards).
  • Place guards at least 19m apart.
  • Be aware that using more guards or combining with other tree planting may trigger Environmental Impact Assessment forestry regulations.

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info Additional Information

TE15: Plant groups of trees in large guards

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

£572.78 per large guard (planting a minimum of 80 trees) - a large guard is a surround to the perimeter of a group of trees.

How this item benefits the environment

Protecting trees from damage caused by grazing animals and wild animals allows the development of scrub, wood pasture and tree patches across the landscape. This helps create better connectivity.

Where you can use this item

You can only use this item with the approval of Natural England alongside a management action to create or manage scrub and open habitat mosaics, or alongside at least one of these actions or options:

SCR1: Create scrub and open habitat mosaics

SCR2: Manage scrub and open habitat mosaics

CWD7: Manage scrub and open habitat mosaics

CWD8: Create scrub and open habitat mosaics

CWD20: Create wood pasture

CWD21: Restore wood pasture and parkland

CWD22: Manage wood pasture and parkland

WD4: Management of lowland wood pasture and parkland

WD5: Restoration of lowland wood pasture and parkland

WD6: Creation of lowland wood pasture

WD7: Management of successional areas and scrub

WD8: Creation of successional areas and scrub

WD10: Management of upland wood pasture and parkland

WD11: Restoration of upland wood pasture and parkland

WD12: Creation of upland wood pasture

You cannot use this item to plant trees in an agroforestry system or to plant an orchard.

What you must do to use this item

You must erect large guards that are 3.6 metres (m) by 3.6m and are at least 1.2m high which have:

  • 4 untreated timber corner posts and 4 untreated intermediate posts
  • 5 untreated wooden rails which are at least 5 centimetres (cm) in width and 10cm in height placed to allow the trees to establish

You must:

  • use robust guards which can withstand damage from livestock
  • plant at least 80 trees within the guards
  • plant the trees within the guard using pit planting – digging a hole to accommodate the root ball
  • select a planting stock that complies with the Forest Reproductive Material Regulations 2002 (where applicable)
  • plant stock which is appropriate in size and stock type to the site and prevailing conditions
  • plant a maximum of 24 large tree guards per hectare (see ‘advice to help you use this item’ for our recommendations)

Plant native tree species which are appropriate for the soil and climatic conditions. You must plant a mix of trees, of which at least:

  • 50 trees are blackthorn or hawthorn planted within the outer edge of the guard
  • 20 trees are a native shrub species such as hazel, bird cherry, aspen, crab apple
  • 10 trees are one or two native canopy forming species per guard such as oak, birch, rowan or similar

You should discuss and agree requirements that are specific to your site with your Natural England adviser.

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 any consents or permissions connected with the work and provide them on request.

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.

How to choose the tree guards

We recommend using a mix of 10 to 15 large guards and 15 to 20 small (weldmesh, post and rail or post and wire) guards per hectare (with a combined maximum total of 30). You may plant up to 24 large guards per hectare, but this is not recommended. The guards should be placed at least 19m apart.

If more guards per hectare are used or this item is used in combination with other areas of tree planting, then Environmental Impact Assessment forestry regulations. forestry regulations may apply. [CSHT]: Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier [m]: metres *[cm]: centimetres

Questions about TE15?

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