TE17: Tree surgery for veteran trees
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
£488 for each intervention – you can apply for up to 2 interventions for each tree in the agreement
How this item benefits the environment
Specialist tree surgery extends the lifespan of veteran trees.
Stabilising veteran trees which are at risk of collapse maintains:
- living trees with standing deadwood
- trees which form distinctive features in the landscape
- trees which provide valuable habitat
Many veteran trees have only grown so old through active management, mostly long abandoned. Reinstating management poses a risk, but the weight of its crown can cause catastrophic failure if not managed.
Where you can use this item
Where Natural England or the Forestry Commission have agreed to specialist tree surgery or other interventions, you can use this item on:
- veteran open grown trees
- veteran pollard trees
- veteran trees in woodlands
You will need to check if Tree Preservation Orders (TPOs) or Conservation Orders apply to the trees on site.
Veteran trees often host European Protected Species such as bats – you may need a wildlife licence.
You can claim for up to 2 interventions per tree in a 3-year period.
You cannot use this item on fruit trees in orchards (see TE18: Pruning to restore veteran fruit trees).
You cannot use this item on trees already funded under:
What you must do to use this item
Before you apply, you must create a tree management plan which includes a written assessment from a veteran tree specialist.
The assessment must:
- lay out the intended outcome of the work
- explain how the long-term health and viability of the trees to be cut will be maintained
- explain the requirements for subsequent management
You can pay for this using PA1: Implementation plan or PA2: Feasibility study.
You must:
- agree your tree management plan with your Natural England or Forestry Commission adviser
- use a professionally qualified arboriculturist to carry out the tree surgery
- carry out the tree surgery works set out in the plan to the agreed timescale
- remove secondary growth from around veteran trees as agreed in your management plan
- place cut material in a location agreed in your plan
You must not:
- stack removed or fallen material against the tree
- cut up limbs or branches removed from the tree any more than is necessary to allow safe handling of them.
- remove cut material including dead wood and dying branches from the area around the tree
- burn cut material
- prune a tree any more than necessary to prevent catastrophic failure
- remove epicormic shoots (small side shoots) as they can take over if the main part of the stem is lost
- carry out any activities which damage and compact tree roots of the veteran tree and those in the vicinity
Evidence you must keep
You must keep the following records and supply them on request:
- your tree management plan
- receipted invoices, consents or permissions connected with the work
- photographs of each tree
- photographs of the completed work
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.
Actions or options you can use with this item
You can use this item with actions or options to manage, restore or create habitats or features
You can also use with CWD2: Woodland improvement.
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.
Tree surgery must be identified in a written assessment. The person providing the advice and tree management plan should be either:
- a certified veteran tree specialist at practicing or consulting level as part of the VETcert tree management standard
- a member of the Arboricultural Association at professional level or higher and ideally experienced in working in veteran tree management
Tree surgery must be carried out by a professionally qualified arboriculturist, defined as either:
- an individual who has achieved an RQF (Regulated Qualifications Framework) Level 4 qualification or higher in Arboriculture – this means at least the Level 4 Award in Arboriculture or its predecessor the Level 3 Technicians Certificate in Arboriculture
- a member of the Arboricultural Association at Technician level or higher
When deciding when to carry out the work, you should consider bird breeding season and the presence of European Protected Species.
Assess the impact your work will have on any species of interest such as:
- lichens
- fungi
- invertebrates
- hole-nesting birds
- roosting bats
You can read more about tree management, safety information and felling licences on the Forestry Commission website.
*[CSHT]: Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier