Grants for larch, spruce and sweet chestnut
Updated 19 November 2025
Applies to England
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tree-health-pilot-scheme-2024/grants-for-larch-spruce-and-sweet-chestnut
The Tree Health Pilot (THP) scheme offers grants for owners or managers dealing with specific pests and diseases, in targeted regions of England.
THP grants are available for:
- larch with Phytophthora ramorum
- spruce with or at risk of Ips typographus (eight-toothed spruce bark beetle)
- sweet chestnut with Phytophthora ramorum or sweet chestnut blight
- biosecurity capital items
Check your eligibility for each grant and the payment rates in the relevant sections of this guidance.
You can also check general eligibility for the THP scheme in the guidance on who can apply and what land is eligible.
Felling, chemical treatment and permanent infrastructure grants
If you have diseased larch, spruce or sweet chestnut trees, you can apply for these grants.
They can help cover the costs of:
- carrying out felling operations, including temporary infrastructure improvements or hiring access aid equipment
- chemical killing of trees
- permanent infrastructure improvements such as building roads, tracks and gates
Read the technical guidance for more information about:
How the grants are paid
There are 3 ways the Forestry Commission will pay for work in the THP scheme, depending on which grants you’re applying for:
- a ‘maximum rate cap’ is used when applying for felling works as part of a Statutory Plant Health Notice (SPHN) for larch, spruce and sweet chestnut, and all permanent infrastructure grants
- all other costs are either standard costs or actual costs
Maximum rate cap: SPHN felling and permanent infrastructure
The grant sum to fund the felling of spruce, larch or sweet chestnut under an SPHN is calculated based on a maximum cap rate.
This is calculated by subtracting the sale value of your timber or chip from the total cost of your felling costs.
This is the ‘actual net cost’ to you. It is how the amount you can be paid for felling costs is calculated.
The sale value of your timber or chip will not be subtracted from any permanent infrastructure costs.
The Forestry Commission will pay you 80% of the actual net cost of your felling work. This includes any hired items that you need such as temporary tracks and surfaces.
If your felling operations exceed £50 per m3 for larch and sweet chestnut or £80 per m3 for spruce, the Forestry Commission will not pay you anything over that amount.
The Forestry Commission will pay you 60% of the actual cost of your permanent infrastructure improvements. These costs include:
- roads
- tracks
- loading areas
- items such as gates and cattle grids
The Forestry Commission will not pay you for infrastructure improvements that cost over:
- £100 per linear metre for road or track costs
- £30 per m2 for loading areas
Example
You apply for a felling grant and a permanent infrastructure grant to fell and remove 500m3 of diseased larch trees.
After carrying out the works, the cost of the felling and hire of extraction equipment was £20,000. The cost of building a 200m forest track (permanent infrastructure improvement) was £10,000.
After selling the harvested larch as timber, you receive £5,000 back. This means the net cost of the felling operation was £15,000 (£20,000 minus £5,000).
This means you’re eligible to claim:
- £12,000 for the felling grant – 80% of the actual net cost
- £6,000 for the infrastructure grant – 60% of the actual cost
The net cost to fell worked out at £30 per m3 (£15,000/500m3) which is below the maximum cap of £50 per m3.
The cost to build the forest track worked out at £50 per linear metre (£10,000/200m3), which is also below the maximum cap of £100 per linear metre.
If you are felling trees outside woodland (TOW) under an SPHN that requires the work of an arborist, you may be eligible to submit quotes for actual costs, instead of using the maximum cap rate. This means you will be paid 80% of the actual cost, to cover the additional costs of arboricultural work.
To be eligible for arboricultural work payments, you must get approval from your THP Woodland Officer before you apply.
If you need help understanding maximum rate cap payments, request a claims form calculator by emailing thpilotenquiries@forestrycommission.gov.uk.
Standard costs
The Forestry Commission will fund standard costs at the specified rate in the grant payment rate tables, regardless of the cost to you.
Actual costs
Actual costs are the total amount it costs for you to carry out the work or buy goods and services.
For actual costs you must:
- first get approval from the Forestry Commission (depending on the grant you applied for)
- provide multiple quotes with your application
The actual cost you enter in the application form should be the lowest quote that you’ve sourced.
You do not have to use the contractor that has provided the lowest quote. But the Forestry Commission will only fund up to the value of the lowest quote.
The percentage of actual costs funded can depend on the action, site and pest and disease applied for.
Grants for larch with an SPHN for Phytophthora ramorum
You can apply as an individual or as a group for grants for larch trees with Phytophthora ramorum in and outside of woodlands.
You can only apply for grants to chemically kill trees with Phytophthora ramorum if agreed with the Forestry Commission.
Read the rules for lead facilitators and group applicants to understand what’s required to be part of a group, or be a facilitator.
Grant payment rates: larch with an SPHN for Phytophthora ramorum
Use the table to work out which grants you want to apply for.
| Type of grant | Individual and group applications |
|---|---|
| Felling larch less than 25 years old, including any temporary infrastructure | 80% of net costs, for anything under £50 per m3. For individual applications, you can only apply for this in combination with an infrastructure grant For group applications, 80% of net costs for anything under £50 per m3 |
| Felling larch 25 years old or over, including any temporary infrastructure | 80% of net costs, for anything under £50 per m3 |
| Chemical killing | Up to £8 per tree using ecoplugs or up to £4 per tree if using liquid glyphosate |
| Permanent infrastructure improvements | 60% of net costs for anything under £100 per metre for linear improvements (for example roads or tracks) and £30 per m2 for other improvements such as loading areas |
| Rhododendron clearance | Between £3,500 and £5,500 depending on the site. See rhododendron control |
| Biosecurity items | See the biosecurity capital items grant |
| Facilitation fees | Not available for individual applications For group applications, £27 per hour (basic rate) for facilitation and administration. £47.47 per hour (supplementary rate) for facilitators with environmental expertise (up to a maximum of £4,725 per month) |
| Restocking and capital items | See grants for restocking trees |
| Restocking maintenance | £400 per hectare each year for 5 years for woodland, or £189 per large tree and £0.14 for whips and feathers for 3 years for TOW |
Grants for spruce with an SPHN for Ips typographus
Grants apply to spruce where Ips typographus is confirmed in and outside of woodlands. You must have an SPHN to confirm the Ips typographus infestation.
Non-competitive agreements are available for sites with Ips typographus under SPHNs, where funding is available.
You can apply as an individual or a group for these grants. Read the rules for lead facilitators and group applicants to understand what’s required to be part of a group, or be a facilitator.
Grant payment rates: spruce with an SPHN for Ips typographus
Use the table to work out which grants you want to apply for.
| Type of grant | Individual and group applications |
|---|---|
| Felling, including any temporary infrastructure | 80% of net costs, for anything under £80 per m3 |
| Permanent infrastructure improvements | 60% of net costs for anything under £100 per metre for linear improvements (for example roads or tracks) and £30 per m2 for other improvements such as loading areas |
| Biosecurity items | See the biosecurity capital items grant |
| Facilitation fees | Not available for individual applications For group applications, £27 per hour (basic rate) for facilitation and administration. £47.47 per hour (supplementary rate) for facilitators with environmental expertise (up to a maximum of £4,725 per month) |
| Restocking and capital items | See grants for restocking trees |
| Restocking maintenance | £400 per hectare each year for 5 years for woodland, or £189 per large tree and £0.14 for whips and feathers for 3 years for TOW |
Grants for spruce at risk from Ips typographus in the proactive spruce removal area
Where you are in the proactive spruce removal area and do not have Ips typographus, you can apply to fell and restock spruce in accordance with the conditions of the associated felling licence.
Proactively managing trees to remove the risk of infestation within the proactive spruce removal area can:
- maximise ways your timber can be used and its revenue
- give you more time to plan if Ips typographus was identified and you were issued with a SPHN
- reduce risk of future infestations and tree health impacts
You can apply as an individual or a group for these grants, whether in or outside of woodlands.
Read the rules for lead facilitators and group applicants to understand what’s required to be part of a group, or be a facilitator.
Read about how the THP scheme grants have helped support the removal of spruce trees at risk of infestation of Ips typographus within the Ips typographus demarcated area.
Grant payment rates: spruce at risk from Ips typographus in the proactive spruce removal area
Grants for felling, infrastructure and biosecurity are collectively capped at £100,000. This does not include replanting and maintenance funding applied for.
In an agreement, proactive felling rates are guaranteed if the felling has commenced within 6 months of the agreement start date, or as long as:
- the site remains free from an Ips typographus infestation, and;
- felling occurs within the funding period
The following questions describe what happens if an SPHN is issued on your spruce whilst you have, or are applying for, a proactive spruce removal agreement:
1. Have you submitted your application and passed Forestry Commission checks?
If the answer is yes, and your agreement is not yet live, you will remain eligible for proactive spruce removal rates.
If the answer is no, you will have to re-apply under SPHN maximum cap rates.
2. Has the SPHN been issued within the first 6 months of the agreement?
If yes, you will remain eligible for proactive spruce removal rates.
If the answer is no, refer to question 3.
3. Did you start felling works within the first 6 months of the agreement?
If the answer is yes, you will remain eligible for proactive spruce removal rates.
If the answer is no, you will have to re-apply under SPHN maximum cap rates.
In all cases, where proactive spruce removal rates are applied, you must comply fully with the SPHN and restock in accordance with the THP agreement and the felling licence conditions that were in place prior to the SPHN.
If replanting is not undertaken, or you do not comply with the SPHN, claims may be refused and other funding paid under the agreement may be reclaimed.
| Type of grant | Individual and group applications |
|---|---|
| Felling, including any temporary infrastructure within the priority spruce removal area | 80% of actual costs, timber income is not deducted |
| Felling, including any temporary infrastructure within the proactive spruce removal area, but not the priority area | 40% of actual costs, timber income is not deducted. 80% of actual costs, timber income is not deducted if there is a Spruce Site Assessment which identifies presence and location of susceptible material on site and this is verified by the Forestry Commission |
| Permanent infrastructure improvements | Up to 100% of actual costs for anything under £100 per metre for linear improvements (for example roads or tracks) and £30 per m2 for other improvements such as loading areas. Infrastructure applied for must be proportionate to spruce removed and approved by a Forestry Commission Woodland Officer |
| Biosecurity items | See the biosecurity capital items grant |
| Facilitation fees | Not available for individual applications For group applications, £27 per hour (basic rate) for facilitation and administration. £47.47 per hour (supplementary rate) for facilitators with environmental expertise (up to a maximum of £4,725 per month) |
| Restocking and capital items | See grants for restocking trees |
| Restocking maintenance | £400 per hectare each year for 5 years for woodland, or £189 per large tree and £0.14 for whips and feathers for 3 years for TOW |
If an application crosses the boundary between the proactive area and the priority area and at least 0.5ha of spruce being felled sits within the priority area – all the spruce being felled will attract the 80% intervention rate (all spruce in the priority area must be felled before submitting a claim for felling).
There is not an option to mix proactive felling with felling in response to an SPHN in the same agreement.
All susceptible material in the agreement must be felled before a claim for felling can be made.
Grants for sweet chestnut with Phytophthora ramorum or sweet chestnut blight
Grants apply to sweet chestnut trees with Phytophthora ramorum or sweet chestnut blight in and outside of woodlands.
You can apply as an individual or as a group for these grants.
You cannot get a restocking grant for individual applications for trees in woodlands in the THP scheme. But you can apply for this through the Countryside Stewardship Woodland Tree Health grant.
You can only apply for grants for chemical killing of trees with Phytophthora ramorum if advised by the Forestry Commission. They do not recommend the chemical killing of sweet chestnut trees with sweet chestnut blight.
Read the rules for lead facilitators and group applicants to understand what’s required to be part of a group, or be a facilitator.
Grant payment rates: sweet chestnut with Phytophthora ramorum or sweet chestnut blight
Use the table to work out which grants you want to apply for.
| Type of grant | Individual and group applications |
|---|---|
| Felling, including any temporary infrastructure | 80% of net costs, for anything under £50 per m3 |
| Chemical killing (for sweet chestnut with Phytophthora ramorum only) | Up to £8 per tree using ecoplugs or up to £4 per tree if using liquid glyphosate |
| Permanent infrastructure improvements | 60% of net costs for anything under £100 per metre for linear improvements (for example roads or tracks) and £30 per m2 for other improvements such as loading areas |
| Biosecurity items | See the biosecurity capital items grant |
| Facilitation fees | Not available for individual applications For group applications, £27 per hour (basic rate) for facilitation and administration. £47.47 per hour (supplementary rate) for facilitators with environmental expertise (up to a maximum of £4,725 per month) |
| Restocking and capital items | Not available for individual applications For group applications, see grants for restocking trees |
| Restocking maintenance | Not available for individual applications For group applications, £400 per hectare each year for 5 years for woodland, or £189 per large tree and £0.14 for whips and feathers for 3 years for TOW |
Grant for biosecurity capital items
You can use this grant to pay back what you spend on biosecurity capital items to prevent the spread of tree disease.
Consider what items you need to uphold good biosecurity practices for sites with:
- larch with Phytophthora ramorum
- spruce with Ips typographus
- spruce without Ips typographus located within the proactive spruce removal area
- sweet chestnut with Phytophthora ramorum or sweet chestnut blight
Read the biosecurity protocol and capital items for more information about items you should consider purchasing, including a biosecurity kit.
Grant payment rates: biosecurity capital items
Use this table to work out which grants you want to apply for.
| Type of biosecurity item | Hire | Purchase |
|---|---|---|
| Personal biosecurity kit | Not eligible | £18 |
| Portable pressure washer | Not eligible | £41 |
| Petrol powered pressure washers and water bowsers for Phytophthora ramorum, sweet chestnut blight and Ips typographus | £80 | Not eligible |
| Static wheel washing stations for sites with high traffic volumes for Phytophthora ramorum, sweet chestnut blight and Ips typographus | £216 | Not eligible |
| Static boot washing stations for sites with high personnel volumes for Phytophthora ramorum, sweet chestnut blight and Ips typographus | £16 | Not eligible |
| Signage for path diversions | Not eligible | £50 |
| Tarpaulin for Ips typographus | Not eligible | £0.50 per m2 |
| Hire of road sweeper | 60% of actual costs | 40% of actual costs |
| Welfare unit | 60% of actual costs | 40% of actual costs |
| Portable washing facilities for workers and machinery | 60% of actual costs | 40% of actual costs |
How to apply
Submit an expression of interest form to start your application. There are individual forms for:
- larch with Phytophthora ramorum, sweet chestnut with Phytophthora ramorum or sweet chestnut blight and spruce with Ips typographus
- proactive spruce removal for spruce without Ips typographus within the proactive or priority spruce removal area
If you need more advice, contact a Woodland Officer at thpilotenquiries@forestrycommission.gov.uk.
Return to the THP scheme guidance.