Guidance

Grants for ash with ash dieback

Updated 27 November 2024

Applies to England

This grant will help pay for some of the costs of managing dangerous ash trees with ash dieback that are growing along roadsides and public rights of way.

You can access funding that pays towards:

• a tree survey report to assess the condition of your ash trees
• the costs of traffic management and road closures when felling diseased trees
• restocking and maintenance of newly planted  trees
• a European protected species survey
• facilitation time to manage group applications

You should aim to make a group application for these grants.

By working as a group, you can reduce the danger diseased trees pose. You can also reduce the costs associated with managing and restocking them with more resilient species.

If you are not able to form a group you may be able to apply as an individual

Check if you are eligible

Read the guidance on who can apply and what land is eligible.

You can apply for ash with ash dieback grants if you are a:

• private landowner
• land manager
• lower tier local authority
• upper tier local authority (with some exclusions)

Upper tier local authorities can only apply as a facilitator of a group and can only claim for the facilitation and restocking grant options.

You can read a full definition of what is considered a lower or upper tier local authority in our terms and conditions.

Forming a group and nominating a lead facilitator

If you find ash trees with ash dieback on a shared road or public footpath, contact the landowners who share ownership of the trees. Ask if they wish to form a group and apply for the ash dieback grant.

The group will nominate (or a local authority will volunteer to be) a lead facilitator. They will coordinate the group and manage their application.

Read about the rules for lead facilitators and group applicants to find out what you need to do for a group application in the THP scheme.

Applying as an individual

If you own or manage ash trees with ash dieback along a road or footpath, but cannot form a group to apply, you might be eligible to apply as an individual.

Reasons for not being able to form a group might include:

• no other landowners owning ash trees with ash dieback on your stretch of road or public right of way
• being unable to contact, or having difficulty contacting the owners of ash trees with ash dieback on your stretch of road or footpath
• neighbours not willing to form a group with you

Record your reasons for applying as an individual in your expression of interest form. The Forestry Commission will let you know if you are eligible .

As an individual, your application must be for:

• a minimum of 100m road length
• a minimum of 20 ash trees
• a maximum total grant value of £50,000

What the ash with ash dieback grant will fund

The grant will pay towards the costs of:

• partial or full road closures and hire of traffic management equipment while you carry out felling work (you’ll need to contact your local council to find out how road closures work and how much they cost – traffic management companies may apply for this on your behalf for a fee)
• a tree survey report of your ash trees to understand the condition, risks and necessary management actions associated with each of your trees – this report must be carried out by a qualified professional
• a European protected species site survey to plan how to fell and restock without causing harm or disturbing protected species - if you cannot avoid disturbing protected species, you’ll need a licence from Natural England
• a facilitator’s time to manage a group application
• restocking and capital items, to replace trees with different species that are more likely to withstand pests, diseases and climate change, including items to protect them such as fencing and netting
• maintenance costs, if you’ve applied for a restocking grant, paid at the end of your agreement year for 5 years for woodland trees or 3 years for trees outside woodland (TOW), to help establish new trees

As part of the restocking grant, you can apply for either:

• mature trees to replace the ash trees you have felled
• whips and feathers to replace woodland and hedgerows you have felled or removed

When restocking hedgerows and TOW (standalone trees or areas less than 0.5 hectares), the ratio of restocking should be at least 3 to 1 to allow trees to establish.

Read the grants for restocking trees guidance for more information. The management of individual ash trees affected by ash dieback also provides advice on what to restock.

What the ash with ash dieback grant will not fund

The grant does not fund the cost of felling ash trees with ash dieback.

If you need to fell ash trees, you’ll need to get a felling licence. It is your responsibility to prove that any felling licence exemptions apply. You may wish to contact your local Forestry Commission area office to ask their advice.

For more information, read about managing ash trees affected by ash dieback.

Grant payment rates: ash with ash dieback

Actual costs means the total amount it costs you to carry out the work or buy goods and services.

Type of grant	Payment rate for trees in woodland	Payment rate for trees outside woodland
Road closure and traffic management	60% of the actual costs of partial or full road closure and traffic management	60% of the actual costs of partial or full road closure and traffic management
Tree condition survey	60% of the actual costs of a tree condition survey by a qualified professional	60% of the actual costs of a tree condition survey by a qualified professional
Facilitation time (leading the application)	£27 per hour basic rate (up to a maximum of £4,200 per month) or £47.47 per hour for facilitators with environmental expertise (up to a maximum £4,725 per month)	£27 per hour basic rate (up to a maximum of £4,200 per month) or £47.47 for facilitators with environmental expertise (up to a maximum £4,725 per month)
European protected species surveys	80% of actual costs	80% of actual costs
Restocking and capital items	Up to £6,000 per hectare for ancient woodland sites. Up to £4,720 per hectare for other sites	£270.44 per large tree, £3.79 for feathers, £2.29 for whips
Maintenance (per year for 3 years)	£400 per hectare	Up to £189 per large tree or £0.14 per feather or whip

Example ash with ash dieback grant application

Example map for illustrative purposes.

An area of land along a road is owned by three separate landowners - private landowner A (marked yellow in the image), private landowner B (marked blue), and the local council (marked red).

The land had ash trees which were dead or dying, and posed a risk to road users, They needed removing.

How an eligible group was formed

The local authority decided to apply to the tree health pilot (THP) scheme as a lead facilitator. They brought together landowners A and B, to deal with the trees affected by ash dieback that lined the road.

The private landowners were eligible as group members for all the ash grant options. The local authority was eligible for the facilitation payments and restocking grants.

What the group applied for

On behalf of the group members, the local authority applied for:

• a professional survey of all the roadside ash trees
• a road closure to carry out maintenance and felling work
• a European protected species survey on trees identified as needing to be felled
• restocking to replenish hedgerows and woodland on private land where ash trees were removed

The local authority applied for:

• the facilitation grant, to pay for their time coordinating the application and facilitating the work
• a grant for restocking on local authority-owned land where ash trees were removed

What work was done

Once they received a grant agreement, the local authority coordinated the work. This included tree surveys, road closures and self-funded felling.

The surveys helped determine the appropriate management actions based on the condition of the trees. This included removing overhanging branches, or in the worst cases, pollarding and felling of diseased trees.

They contacted their local Forestry Commission tree health pilot woodland officer for advice on contractors to fell and restock trees. They found a traffic management company easily online.

The local authority and private landowners split the felling and arboricultural costs based on the number of trees involved on their land.

After the felling, the land was restocked. Small trees were used to gap-up the hedgerows. Mature trees replaced the larger ash trees. An area of roadside woodland that was removed from landowner B’s property was replanted.

Additional ash dieback resources

For more information about ash with ash dieback, read:

• local authority action plan toolkit
• ash dieback disease: a guide for tree owners
• a farmer’s guide to ash dieback

Apply for this grant

Submit an expression of interest for ash with ash dieback or return to the THP scheme guidance.

If you need more advice, contact a woodland officer at [email protected].