TE13: Creation of dead wood habitat on trees
Source: gov.uk (2025-02-03)

Find out about eligibility and requirements for the creation of dead wood habitat on trees item.

This item is part of Higher Tier Capital Grants 2025. You must read the Higher Tier Capital Grants 2025 guidance (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/higher-tier-capital-grants-2025) 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 (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/countryside-stewardship-higher-tier-csht) to understand the rules and how to apply.

How much you’ll be paid

£285.58 per tree.

How this item benefits the environment

Creating dead wood habitat on trees benefits rare or specialised wildlife where there is a generational gap between veteran trees and their successors.

If successful, it will speed up the process of producing wood decay habitats in younger trees to become veteran trees in the future. This will mimic the natural damage caused by (for example):
- lightning strikes
- branch failure
- woodpecker holes
Where you can use this item

You can use this item with the agreement of Natural England on trees:
- on or next to sites with existing populations of veteran trees
- on land being treated by cutting or extensive grazing to manage the site
- where cover across the area does not exceed 25%
- that do not impede or are impeded by the crown or canopy of existing veteran trees
- that are the same native species and genetic origin as existing native veteran trees in the area
What you must do to use this item

Before you apply, you must get a written assessment and advice on the work required from a qualified arboricultural expert.

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 (https://www.gov.uk/countryside-stewardship-grants/implementation-plan-pa1) or PA2: Feasibility study (https://www.gov.uk/countryside-stewardship-grants/feasibility-study-pa2).

You must:
- remove any existing scrub or secondary growth around the selected trees
- carry out the work as set out in an approved specification or implementation plan
- carry out the work between 1 September and the end of February, using an appropriately qualified arborist
- when pollarding trees, cut them at a height which prevents grazing of re-growth
- make sure you can monitor the trees’ response to cutting by tagging each tree
- keep the deadwood of any tree that dies following work to veteranise the tree and plant a replacement tree of the same native species and genetic origin
You must not use this item for work required for health and safety purposes.

Evidence you must keep

You must keep and provide a map showing the location of mature and veteran standing trees and standing and fallen deadwood with your application.

You must also keep and provide with your claim:
- photographs of the completed work
- a copy of the arboricultural assessment
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 trees before works start
- records required of the work undertaken and details of the persons undertaking it and their qualifications
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 (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/agreement-holders-guide-capital-grants-higher-tier-capital-grants-and-protection-and-infrastructure-grants-2025) 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 (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/countryside-stewardship-higher-tier-csht).

Other items and actions you can use with this item

Capital items

You can use this item with these items:

TE2: Planting standard parkland tree (https://www.gov.uk/countryside-stewardship-grants/planting-standard-parkland-tree-te2)

TE7: Tree guard (wood post and rail) (https://www.gov.uk/countryside-stewardship-grants/tree-guard-wood-post-and-rail-te7)

TE8: Tree guard (wood post and wire) (https://www.gov.uk/countryside-stewardship-grants/tree-guard-wood-post-and-wire-te8)

TE9: Parkland tree guard - welded steel (https://www.gov.uk/countryside-stewardship-grants/parkland-tree-guard-welded-steel-te9)

Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier actions or options

You can use this item with these actions or options:

CWD20: Create wood pasture (https://www.gov.uk/find-funding-for-land-or-farms/cwd20-create-wood-pasture)

CWD21: Restore wood pasture and parkland (https://www.gov.uk/find-funding-for-land-or-farms/cwd21-restore-wood-pasture-and-parkland)

CWD22: Manage wood pasture and parkland (https://www.gov.uk/find-funding-for-land-or-farms/cwd22-manage-wood-pasture-and-parkland)

WD4: Management of wood pasture and parkland (https://www.gov.uk/countryside-stewardship-grants/management-of-wood-pasture-and-parkland-wd4)

WD5: Restoration of wood pasture and parkland (https://www.gov.uk/countryside-stewardship-grants/restoration-of-wood-pasture-and-parkland-wd5)

WD6: Creation of wood pasture (https://www.gov.uk/countryside-stewardship-grants/creation-of-wood-pasture-wd6)

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.

Picking the right trees

‘Veteranisation’ or the creation of dead wood habitat on trees may shorten the tree’s life. Only attempt this where there are:
- enough trees in the same area that will not be worked on – your arboricultural expert will agree this number with you
- not enough late-mature trees to provide successors to the veteran trees
Never use this method on trees:
- which are developing wood decay habitat
- with important habitat, for example, on trees that host protected species such as bats
- in parks, towns or other situations where damage may cause safety issues
- ancient or veteran trees
Any intervention needs to be small enough that it does not pose an immediate threat to the tree, allowing survival for many years.

Management

You can use several methods to encourage veteran features on younger trees including:
- cutting the tops of trees that are likely to respond to pollarding
- making holes in live standing trees to initiate rot
- deliberately damaging the bark to induce decay or simulate sap runs
- breaking branches, rather than sawing them off flush or creating ‘coronet’ ends
- increasing water retention in forks and crowns of trees by drilling holes
The person providing the advice and tree management report should be either:
- a certified veteran tree specialist at practicing or consulting level as part of the VETcert tree management standard (https://www.vetcert.eu/standards-certificates)
- a member of the Arboricultural Association at professional level or higher and ideally experienced in working in veteran tree management
The person cutting the tree should be an appropriately qualified arboricultural expert, 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
Planting new trees

If a tree dies following this work, you must replace it with a tree of the same species and genetic origin. You must plant any replacement tree where there is enough room to grow an open crown.

Consents and permissions

Check if you need:
- consent or permission to carry out work Tree Preservation Orders (TPOs) and Conservation Orders may apply to the trees on site
- a licence (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/manage-and-protect-woodland-wildlife) from Natural England may be needed for work on old trees
Creating veteran features

Follow the advice on the VETree (https://publications.naturalengland.org.uk/publication/75035) website for creating veteran features.