Claims guidance for existing LATF grant holders
Updated 6 May 2026
Applies to England
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This guide is for existing grant holders of the Local Authority Treescapes Fund (LATF). This fund is closed to new applicants.
Conditions of payments听
You should attempt to replant failed trees wherever practicable and proportionate to do so and must ensure a minimum survival rate of 75% of planted trees by the end of the maintenance period. Losses greater than this will be subject to the Forestry Commission鈥檚 Performance Improvement Plan.听听
Replacements are expected to be funded by the听local authority听and planting must be carried out satisfactorily to receive future maintenance payments. The听local authority听may choose to plant a higher number of trees at the outset, to offset expected natural losses, or else undertake compensation planting in the second or third planting season (during the maintenance period).听听
Trees lost due to exceptional circumstances, at our discretion, may be offered the opportunity to apply for听LATF听Extraordinary Payments for Replanting in Exceptional Circumstances (EPREC). Where agreed,听LATF听EPREC听will pay a standard cost to supply and plant trees to replace those lost due to exceptionally hot and dry weather.听
Planting deferrals
If you have approval to defer 2024-25 planting into 2025-26, you will need to refer to your formal amendment letter for your revised claim schedule.听50% of the funding for planting that year will be provided up front听following submission of your pre-planting claim.听We will provide the remaining 50% upon receipt of the post-planting report听(PPR). This will apply for planting work completed听in 2025-26.听
The lead local authority must submit the PPR for our review. If the final planting within the post-planting report differs from the activity outlined in听your application and听the听Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), the instalment could be adjusted downward.听You must complete all听capital work (planting and/or听establishing听conditions for natural colonisation) and submit the听associated听claims听by 31 March 2026.
Maintenance payments will be made at the end of each financial year of the听maintenance听period of your agreement. This is subject to satisfactory evidence for the maintenance work completed. The payment schedule and further details of the activity schedule are detailed in the听LATF听grant determination letter, which is offered to all local authorities selected for funding.听You must听submit your claim听before 31 March of the听financial year scheduled.
Contingencies and any costs related to inflation are borne by the applicant local authority.听
All detailed requirements are provided in the听LATF claim forms page, where you can also find听PPR听guidance.
How to claim听
Pre-planting claims (1 and 3)
An听LATF听claim form for claim 1 (pre-planting) and a claim declaration form will be sent to you with your offer of funding and can also be found on听the LATF claim forms page. This is the claim for the 50% upfront payment for planned planting/natural colonisation work in year 1 of your agreement.
You must sign and complete these forms and email them to听LATF@forestrycommission.gov.uk听along with your signed听MoU听and acceptance of offer form. If you have a听2-year听planting agreement,听you must听submit听a听further pre-planting claim听(claim 3)听in year 2.
Post-planting claims (2 and 4)
Complete all capital works, submit a PPR and claim up to 50% of the remaining planting/natural recolonisation work before 11.59pm on 31 March of the听financial year听of planting. This will be听claim 2听for year 1 planting and claim 4 for year 2听planting.
Read the听PPR听guidance on how to complete the听PPR听and claim form.
To ensure prompt payment of your claim, you should provide suitable evidence of all completed planting as part of your听PPR听and claim at the end of the financial year that planting takes place.
You must provide grid references/maps for all planting locations.
You must also provide photographs for 10% of your planting sites (you can select which sites). The reduced requirement for photos is in place for 2024-25 claims onward only. Photographs can be taken of individual trees where these are not close to others but can also be taken of groups of trees where many can be included in one shot. The photographs must be representative of planting in each location.听
We recommend recording this evidence at the time of planting.
The following map is an example of supporting evidence provided by a previous applicant as part of their听PPR听submission. It combines a precise location, species and photograph. Evidence of this quality enables us to process a claim with minimal delay.
An example 1:2:500 scale street map showing trees and site boundaries. Reproduced with permission from Cambridgeshire County Council.
Maintenance claims
The importance of听maintenance听for planted trees is reflected in the annual reporting requirements year 2 to 4 (and year 5 for 2-year planting agreements).听
You can submit your maintenance听claim听from 1 October following听maintenance听activities in听the first growing season after planting and in the听financial year听stated听in the agreement payment profile. For example, trees planted between October听2024听and April 2025 will have their first growing season April to September 2025.听Annual claims for听maintenance听can听then听be听submitted听between:
- 1 October听2025听and 31 March 2026
- 1 October听2026听and 31 March 2027听
- 1 October听2027听and 31 March 2028听(where these are scheduled听in your grant determination letter)
A review of evidence from each local authority will take place during the听maintenance听claims听approval process.
New form for 2025-26 claims: 鈥榤aintenance claim declaration form鈥�
For听financial years听2025-26听onwards, you will need to complete and submit an LATF听maintenance claim declaration form, available on听the LATF claim forms page.
This form replaces 2 forms: the Excel听鈥檓aintenance听claim form鈥� and the 鈥榥on-RDPE claims declaration form鈥�.
This is for maintenance claims only. You still need to complete the non-RDPE claims declaration form for pre- and post-planting claims.
If you have already听submitted听the Excel听maintenance听claim form听for 2025-26, you do not need to听resubmit your claim.
By signing the LATF maintenance claims declaration form you are confirming that you want to claim the maintenance payment听amount听awarded in your 鈥榓greement grant determination letter鈥� (or听subsequent 鈥榓mendment letter鈥�).听
A signed听declaration form also confirms that you have achieved the minimum 75% survival rate at all sites in the agreement.
Claiming less than the full maintenance payment
If you鈥檙e not听claiming听for the full听maintenance payment听amount due听on your claim schedule, because of听either an underspend or not achieving the 75% survival rate, follow the relevant procedure:
Underspend
Download the听LATF maintenance claim form (Excel)听and enter the number of trees听planted听and claimed听in your PPR听and听the new听lower听cost per tree that you want to claim for.听
You can听enter an average cost per tree if you have spent听less听on some than others. For example, if one of your delivery partners has used volunteers for maintenance听but you had applied for money for contractors.听
Submit this听claim听form听with a听standard听claims declaration form (non-RDPE)听by midnight of 31 March of the听financial year听in which the claim is due.听
Less than 75% survival rates
Where听some of your sites have not achieved the minimum 75% survival rate, consider if your scheme is eligible to听invoke听the听force majeure听clause听of your MoU.
Read more about invoking the force majeure clause.
If your force majeure听application is successful,听sites not achieving 75% survival can be removed from your agreement obligations听and you can make a reduced claim.
Claiming in-house maintenance activities
While the听LATF听cannot fund the time of in-house project co-ordination, it can fund in-house maintenance activities in cases where a contractor is not used. If in-house maintenance resource is used, evidence should be kept of hours worked and hourly rate, should this be requested. Labour involved in planting and maintaining trees is classed as capital expenditure and is factored into our standard tree costs at application stage (project cost calculator).
Final maintenance claims and beat-up survey
In the final maintenance year (years 4 and 5 for year 1 and year 2 trees听respectively听if you have a 2-year agreement) you need to conduct and听submit a beat-up survey.
The beat-up survey evidences that each area of planting has been surveyed to make sure the success rate meets the required minimum 75%. This enables the final maintenance payment for the relevant trees.
The final maintenance claim includes both third and fourth听maintenance claims, if applicable, to 2-year planting agreements.
Read the听beat-up survey guidance听before completing the survey form.
Download the beat-up survey form from听the LATF claim forms page听during the final growing season. You should complete the survey during your maintenance rounds.
If restocking is required (where the beat-up survey reveals <75% survival rate at one or more sites), trees should match those lost (for example, standards, whips or feathers) and should be in the same location. It is not necessary to restock up to 100%. Read more about restocking in the beat-up survey guide.
If natural colonisation forms part of the agreement, this should also be assessed as part of the beat-up survey. If there is no evidence of regeneration, the reason should be investigated and remedied (where applicable) before the end of the agreement period. This is also captured on the form.
Final maintenance claims for round 1 and 2
The lead local authority should:
- complete the beat-up survey during the 2025 growing season, and then plant any replacements needed to ensure that the 75% survival rate is achieved in the winter planting season (and before the claim is submitted by 31 March)
- submit one beat-up survey with your final maintenance claim, which includes all听trees planted and claimed in your 2022-23 post-planting report
We can only accept one beat-up survey per final maintenance claim.
Claims due in 2025-26 will not be paid if they are submitted after 31 March 2026.
How to submit your听LATF听claim
Complete the relevant forms:
- pre-planting claims: LATF pre-planting claim form and a signed non-RDPE听claims declaration form
- post-planting claims: LATF听post-planting report claim form and a signed non-RDPE听claims declaration form 鈥� read the听post-planting report guide
- maintenance claims: LATF听maintenance claim declaration form 鈥� read more on听final maintenance claims
- final maintenance claims: LATF听maintenance claim declaration form and a beat-up survey form 鈥� read the beat-up survey guidance
All forms are available on the LATF forms page.
Email completed听LATF听forms and supporting evidence to听LATF@forestrycommission.gov.uk.
Claims deadlines
The deadline听for听submitting LATF听claims听each听financial year听is 31 March.听Claims must be听submitted听by the end of听the听financial year听in which they are scheduled听according to your grant determination letter (or听subsequent听amendment letter if applicable).
Claims will not be paid if they are submitted after the deadline.
Maintenance claims deadlines (all rounds)
You must submit maintenance claims between 1 October 2025 and midnight on 31 March 2026. We cannot accept maintenance claims submitted before 1 October of the financial year in which they are due.
Final maintenance claims deadlines (round 1 and 2)
Submit round 1 final maintenance claims (for year 2 trees) and round 2 final maintenance claims (for year 1 trees) by 31 March 2026.
Inspections听听
In each year during the agreement period, planting on both public and private land will be subject to random or at-risk on-site inspection by the Forestry Commission. The听local authority听will be given 48 hours鈥� notice prior to any inspection and are required to provide access to our staff.听
A representative of the听local authority听need not be present at the time of inspection, but the nominated and named agreement holder/lead applicant on behalf of the lead听local authority听(or their confirmed agent) must sign the Forestry Commission鈥檚 subsequent inspection report to confirm that they understand the inspection outcome.听
Inspections may look for evidence of defrayal, necessary consents, licences and permissions (in particular, that they were in place prior to planting). It may also look for evidence that the grant-funded works have been undertaken in accordance with the听MoU听and published prescriptions, and to an acceptable standard.
Contact us
If you need further help from the Forestry Commission, email听LATF@forestrycommission.gov.uk.
Find out听how to make a complaint or appeal.