Rural Payments and Services

This is available for the eradication of scrub or woody vegetation for the purpose of habitat restoration, and/or to encourage natural regeneration, or to improve public access.

This item cannot be used to remove scrub that is identified in the Native Woodland Survey for Scotland unless it occurs on a Site of Special Scientific Interest that requires this action to bring the site into favourable condition.

Applicants must produce a Scrub Control Plan for the site which will outline benefits to the habitat and demonstrate a long-term strategy. This plan must be attached to your application.

The plan must include:

• a map that details the extent and percentage cover of the scrub (to evidence the net area of hectares you will be claiming grant on), and categorises the scrub by grant type (e.g. light)
• details on the control method and follow-up for five years

Light scrub or woody vegetation is young and / or small in height. You are able to walk through it easily and the scrub stems are typically no more than eight centimetres thick.

Control work must be done between the beginning of August and the end of February.

You must control the scrub by either:

• cutting the scrub as low as possible to ground level (you must treat cut stumps greater than 1.5 centimetres diameter immediately with an appropriate chemical to prevent subsequent re-growth)
• treating the scrub with glyphosate, by spraying or stem injection
• manually pulling, if you have prior approval to in your plan
• mechanically uprooting, if you have prior approval to in your plan

You must inspect for scrub regrowth each summer in order to determine whether or not you need to carry out further control work.

A follow-up treatment has been included in this standard cost. The follow-up treatment should occur as soon as is acceptable, following the summer survey.

Do not leave follow-up treatment for more than three years as vegetation will start to flower.

Claims can be made after the initial clearance has been carried out, but applicants must make sure that at completion (year five) there must be no live scrub present on site.

The site must be surveyed at year four to make sure that eradication has been achieved. Please provide the survey results and photographic evidence to your woodland officer.

The site may be inspected by Forestry Commission Scotland at this time.

We require the site cleared of scrub to have evidence of meeting the overall site objectives (the purpose of habitat restoration and / or to encourage natural regeneration) for a period of at least five years following the date you received your payment.

Please refer to the guidance in the Health and Safety Executive application of pesticides by handheld equipment document.

There is information to assist you on the Forestry Commission website on reducing pesticide use in forestry.

Please make sure you abide by conditions set out in the Forestry Grant Scheme claim form and guidance.

Click 'Download this page' to create a printer-friendly version of this guidance that you can save or print out.