TE11: Tree surgery

HowWhere muchto you’lluse bethis paid item

£73.36Available perfor treeCountryside whenStewardship cuttingMid limbsTier, upHigher toTier and(including includingWD2: 20Woodland centimetresImprovement) (cm)and inCapital diameter.Grants.

£146.72Only:

• for per tree whensurgery on mature, fully grown trees, with higher payment rate for where cutting of limbs over 20cm indiameter diameter.

  Howis required (Note this item benefitsis thenot environment

  Treeintended surgeryfor maintainsuse andon enhancesbush orchard trees.)

Where the charactercutting of limbs of over 20cm diameter is required, the landscapeapplicant bymust managingobtain a written assessment and restoringadvice matureon trees,the prolongingwork theirrequired livesfrom andan maintainingappropriately theirqualified wildlifearboricultural andexpert, historicwhich value.

Whereaddresses youand canis useaimed thisat item 

You

• the canintended onlyoutcome
• long useterm thishealth itemand forviability treeof surgerythe ontree(s) mature,to fullybe growncut
• any trees.
  requirements for subsequent management

YouThis cannotitem useis thisnot itemeligible on bush orchards. These are defined as intensively managed top fruit cropscrops, including apples, pears, cherries and plums, grown on non-vigorous rootstocks. rootstocks.

WhatHow youthis mustitem dowill tobenefit usethe this itemenvironment

YouMaintain must:and enhance the character of the landscape by managing and/or restoring mature trees, to prolong their lives, and maintain their wildlife and/or historic value.

• carry

  If outsuccessful, treemature surgerytrees betweenin 1danger Septemberof collapse will have been stabilised and established pollards will have been re-pollarded. In cases where it will enhance the endcharacter of February

• carrythe outlandscape, thenew firstpollards pollardingwill have been created on established trees with a diameter at breast height of less than 40cm (20cm(less than 20cm for oak and beech)
• controlbeech, competing weeds as thelarger sitediameter regenerates
• removetrees cutare materiallikely fromto the site or tidy it into piles
fail).

Requirements

• carry out checkstree forsurgery nestingbetween birds1 September and roosting1 bats before starting any workMarch

When

• where workingcutting on limbs over 20cm diameter, youcarry must getout a written assessment of the work thatin needsaccordance towith bethe doneadvice fromreceived
• cut anthe appropriatelytree qualifiedcleanly arboriculturalat expertsufficient orheight Forestryto Commissionprevent adviser.

  Thegrazing assessmentof must:

  re-growth
  • layonly carry out thefirst intendedpollarding outcomeon oftrees thewith work
  • explaina howdiameter you’llat maintainbreast theheight long-termof healthless andthan viability40cm of(20cm thefor treesoak toand be cutbeech)
  • explaincontrol theinjurious requirementsweeds foras subsequentthe management

  Yousite canregenerates, paybut fordo thisnot usingapply PA1:any Implementationpesticides planwithin or10 PA2:m Feasibilityof study

  Youthe must:

  • carrytree, outexcept thefor worksherbicides identifiedto inspot thistreat assessmentor weed wipe
  • remove cut thematerial treefrom cleanlythe atsite aor heighttidy whichit preventsinto grazing of re-growthpiles

  YouDo must not not:

  • use this item for work required for health and safety purposes.
    purposes

  EvidenceKeeping you must keep records

   YouAgreement mustholders keepwill photographsneed ofto keep the completedfollowing workrecords and providesupply them with your claim.

   You must also keep and provide on request:

  • any consents,consents permissions, plans or studiespermissions connected with the work
  • receipted invoicesinvoices, or bank statements where a receipted invoice is unavailable
  • records of when the tree surgery was done and by whom, and details of any spot spraying or weed wiping
  • photographs of the trees you’llto managebe managed

  ReadPlease see the record keeping and siteinspection visit requirements as set out in the Agreementrelevant holder’sMid guide:Tier, Higher Tier or Capital Grants,Grants Higherguidance Tierfor capitalmore grantsdetail. andYou Protectioncan find the latest guidance at Countryside Stewardship: get funding to protect and Infrastructureimprove grantsthe forland moreyou information.manage.

  Advice

  Agreement holders will need to helpkeep youthe usefollowing thisrecords item

  and supply them with the claim:

  The

  • photographs followingof advicethe maycompleted helpwork

  Advice youand suggestions for how to usecarry out this item,item

  The butfollowing yousection dogives notadvice haveon tocarrying followout itthis toitem getsuccessfully paid.but It’sdoes not form part of thisthe item’srequirements requirements.   for this item.

  ManagingHow to manage the site

  Tree surgery and working at height requiresrequire specialist skills. Read more about theuseful tree management and safety information in commonCommon sense risk management of trees - Forest Research. from the Forestry Commission (FC).

  AnAdvice from an appropriately qualified arboricultural expert should be sought – this is a requirement for all work that involves cutting limbs of over 20cm diameter, as is a written assessment. An appropriately qualified arboricultural expert can be defined as:

  1. an

     An individual who has achieved an RQF (Regulated Qualifications Framework) Level 4 qualification or higher in ArboricultureArboriculture. –This this means at least the Level 4 Award in Arboriculture or its predecessor the Level 3 Technicians Certificate in ArboricultureArboriculture.

  2. is

     Is a member of the Arboricultural Association at Technician level or higherhigher.

  For use of this item in Woodland Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier Forestry Commission woodland officers can provide support for the use of this option as an alternative to a report from a professionally qualified arboriculturalist. Forestry Commission Woodland officers can seek advice from arboricultural experts where necessary.

  When reintroducing pollarding on mature trees after a long gap, consider adopting some of the same techniques that are applied to veteran pollards.

  Inpollards should be considered - in a group of pollards, trial on an individual tree orand/or leave longer stubs to test the response.

  Limbs that branch from below the height of the first pollard cut do not need to be cut.

  Be aware that there is a separate option available in Higher Tier only, BE6 - Veteran tree surgery.

  Where practical, angle cuts away from the centre of the crown during tree surgery to allow water to run off.

  Dispose Cut ofmaterial cutcan materialbe disposed of by stacking it in piles on site or removing it from the site. Leave material in as large pieces as possible and do not stack against the trees that have been cut.

  Small branches and twigs (under 10cm in diameter) can be burnt on site provided trees are not damaged. Avoid disposal on sensitive habitats or land with historic features.

  Fire sites should be a minimum of 10m from the canopy of any tree.

  Consents and permissions

  CheckBe ifaware youthat needa consentnumber orof permissionconsents toand carrypermissions outmay work:apply:

  • the Tree Preservation Orders (TPOs) and Conservation Orders may apply to the trees on site
  • aold licencetrees fromespecially Naturalcan Englandhost European Protected Species, such as bats

  Further information

  Read Countryside Stewardship: get funding to protect and improve the land you manage to carryfind out workmore oninformation oldabout trees