London Tree Programme 2016-17: Guidance Notes
1. Introduction and background
The Mayor committed in his manifesto to “Embark on a major tree-planting programme across London, in partnership with businesses and the public sector”. The current London Plan and mayoral strategies on Air Quality, Climate Change Adaptation and Biodiversity also recognise that increasing tree cover across London will provide a range of environmental, social and economic benefits for Londoners.
London is already a green city, with about 20% of the capital covered by trees. However, there are many areas of London with lower levels of greening, where planting trees in the public realm or in green spaces could provide many benefits. The aim is to increase canopy cover in London to 25%.
Further tree planting across London can improve the usability and the look and feel of the city. For example, it can contribute towards improving our air quality, and improve London’s resilience to a changing climate, making it a more pleasant place for residents and visitors, as well as an environment in which businesses can thrive.
The 2016-17 tree programme is a single-year funding programme to support tree planting this winter and will inform the development of any future mayoral tree planting programmes.
2. Tree Programme Grants 2016-17
The London Tree Programme 2016-2017 will provide grants of between £10,000 and £200,000 from a total fund of £750,000 to support tree planting projects in 2016-17. The grant funding will contribute to the successful applicant’s costs of projects.
The objective is that projects will contribute to increasing London’s tree cover by 5% (from 20% to 25%) by supporting local communities, businesses and civil society to improve neighbourhoods through tree-planting and associated activities.
There is a single funding round and the deadline for applications is Monday 19 December 2016 at 10am. It is intended that funding will be available to successful applicants from mid-January 2017, depending on whether suitable applications are received and successful applicants having executed funding agreements with the GLA. Projects must be delivered by the end of March 2017.
The Application Form can be found on page 9 of this document. Applicants can apply for grant funding for more than one project. An application form should be completed for each project or planting programme (i.e. an application for a woodland creation project should be separate from an application for street tree planting, though one application can cover several planting sites providing the overall programme of activity has the same aim).
3. What are we looking for in Tree Programme 2016-17 projects?
The number and type of projects that the Tree Programme will support is dependent on the number and quality of applications for funding received. Projects will be assessed against the application criteria set out in Section 5.
Through the tree programme 2016-17 we wish to prioritise projects which deliver:
- Woodland creation in parks or green spaces that result in the planting of a minimum of 5,000 whips
- Groups of trees in parks and green spaces that will change the character of the space, planting a minimum of 50 trees (of which at least one third should be standards)
- Street tree and public realm tree planting that results in the planting of a minimum of 25 trees (standards or heavy standards) per application
We are looking to fund a range of projects across London, evaluated against the application criteria set out below.
The GLA will also consider an application’s contribution towards tree planting:
- in areas with low canopy cover
- that contributes to creating or strengthening green links to and from schools, high streets, or other civic places and spaces.
4. Application Requirements
· Projects must be deliverable by the end of March 2017 at the latest, but can be part of a phased programme of longer term enhancements works, provided the tree planting element funded by the Mayor of London has clearly defined outcomes in its own right.
· The Mayor’s Tree Programme 2016-17 is open to all London boroughs and private landowners who own or manage publicly accessible green space and public realm (including businesses, registered social landlords, etc.). It is also open to civil society organisations and community groups working with, or on behalf of, boroughs and private landowners.
· All grant recipients should be legally constituted, i.e. an established group with a governing document and separate bank account. Companies and charities applying for grant funding will need to send in supporting financial information outlined in Section E.
· For street and public realm trees:
o Applicants should plant trees that meet the street tree definition:
A tree planted in the pavement or grass verge, within the highway; or on other public realm adjacent to the highway, provided they make an unambiguous contribution to the street scene and benefit pedestrian users of the highway. Street Trees should be standards with an average girth range of between 8-10cm to 14-16cm. Size should be appropriate to location. In locations where vandalism and accidental damage is unlikely smaller tree sizes are encouraged.
o Please note that the minimum grant application is £10,000 and so we are unable to grant small numbers of trees. We expect an application to be for a minimum of 25 trees.
· Applicants have secured all necessary landowner (and applicable 3rd party) permissions and consents and have undertaken an initial assessment of constraints to ensure tree planting is feasible in proposed locations.
· Applicants and landowners demonstrate appropriate maintenance to ensure the trees establish; and support local communities and/or businesses in the long-term management and maintenance of the new planting.
· Applications clearly demonstrate how they will engage local communities and/or businesses in the project; involving children and young people in projects where possible.
· Applications demonstrate how funding would deliver new planting or add value to existing planting programmes.
· Proposals follow good practice guidance for tree planting (see Section 8)
· Applicants demonstrate that the grant funding enables additional trees to be planted in London during 2016-17.
5. Application Criteria
The following criteria apply to the assessment of applications. Please provide a concise (preferably no more than 250 words against each criterion) description, narrative or information against the following criteria in a Project Proposal[1]:
a) Project summary
Include a short summary of the proposed project that clearly articulates the project’s specific aims and objectives.
b) London Tree Programme 2016-17 objectives
Explain how the project will help to achieve the aims of the Tree Programme 2016-17, as
outlined in Section 3.
c) Place-shaping
Explain how the project fits with, and will contribute to, the surrounding area given the environmental, social and economic context, and any regeneration aims or future development of the area.
d) Community participation and engagement
There should already be community support for the project. In addition, support from a range of partners, including businesses, is preferable. You should demonstrate how community support has been secured, including details of any further community engagement, volunteering and training opportunities.
e) Outcomes
Describe the proposed social and environmental outcomes of the project (and any clear economic outcomes, if applicable). For woodland creation and green space projects, set out how project implementation will encourage better use of the space. This may be achieved by making safer, more enticing, or more accessible spaces. For streets and public realm projects, set out the specific wider outcomes of your project related to the location, referring back to the place-shaping aims.
Where possible, illustrate your project outcomes with some key output metrics which might include:
· Number of trees planted.
· Number and types of linkages and connections to other parts of the green infrastructure network.
· Length of highway or area of public realm improved.
· Number of volunteers engaged, including the age ranges and groups of people you will be working with, where relevant.
· Number and range of stakeholder groups involved in the planning and delivery of projects.
f) Deliverability
All projects must be implemented by the end of March 2017. Each proposal must set out:
· A summary of the work (e.g. feasibility, design, etc.) that has been undertaken to date on the project.
· A project timeline setting out key milestones.
· A project budget, setting out the total project budget, the element of funding requested from the Mayor of London, and the cost per tree.
· A longer-term timetable for achieving other distinct phases or outcomes beyond March 2017 (if applicable).
· Details of any permissions that have already been secured, or will need to be secured.
· A simple Risk Register identifying the main risks associated with the project and how you propose to manage these risks, as well as any contingency plans in place.
g) Additionality
Projects that can demonstrate match-funding are preferred. All projects should enable additional trees to be planted in London during 2016-17 and set out how the Mayor of London’s grant funding will leverage additional resources (e.g. through sponsorship, in-kind support and volunteering).
Set out all sources of match-funding and any conditions that apply to other funding sources.
h) Maintenance
All projects will need to be maintained to a high standard. Describe how the improvements will be maintained in the future, including details of how maintenance will be funded and implemented.
6. Assessment of applications
An evaluation panel will meet to assess the applications received. The evaluation panel is likely to include representatives from the Greater London Authority, Forestry Commission and Transport for London.
A copy of the evaluation form that will be used to help assess the applications can be found in Appendix 1.
Once the evaluation panel has met, you should expect to hear within two weeks about the outcome of your application.
Funding terms
Any award(s) of funding will be made subject to your acceptance of the GLA’s standard funding terms, copies of which can be found on the trees grant webpage.
The letter form of agreement will be used for funding between £10,000 and £50,000 and the long form agreement for funding equal to or exceeding £50,000 (although where an applicant makes multiple applications, the aggregate value of which exceeds £50,000, the long form agreement will be used).
NB: The terms are non-negotiable and attempts to, and proposals for, amendments may result in your application being rejected.
7. Timetable for Tree Programme 2016-17
GLA call for expressions of interest in tree planting projects (guidance available on types of project; assessment criteria) / W/c 28 NovemberDeadline for submissions to GLA / Monday 19 December 2016, 10am
Assessment of applications / W/c 19 Dec date tbc
Successful applicants informed / By Friday 23 Dec
Funding agreements drafted (to include project milestones, and criteria for grant payments). / W/c 2 Jan and w/c 9 Jan
Deadline for return of signed funding agreements / W/c 16 Jan
Projects take place / On completion of funding agreement – to Sunday 12 March
Monitoring information submitted to GLA / By 17 March
Funding claimed*
(* depending upon the meeting of relevant milestones grant payments may be received after 31 March due to time taken to process the payments.) / By 31 March 2017
8. Guidance information relating to tree planting
Applicants must follow good practice guidance for street tree planting, which is set out in the following documents:
· The London Tree and Woodland Framework has guidelines and a useful checklist (page 32) for ‘Right Place Right Tree’ - choosing the appropriate species of trees for a given location, taking account of site characteristics and the purpose of the trees
· Information on Right Trees for a Changing Climate can be found at www.righttrees4cc.org.uk
· Information on ash dieback can be found on the Forestry Commission website, and the London specific leaflet.
· The Forestry Commission Tree Care Guide provides simple advice on tree planting
· The Trees and Design Action Group publication Trees in the Hard Landscape provides advice about incorporating trees in the public realm.
Please note that if tree planting is on Local Authority land, the Local Authority may have their own practice guidance that needs to be followed – please contact the relevant Local Authority Tree Officer for further details.
The applicant can propose species and tree planting methods that differ from this guidance but the final decision on what is an appropriate species for the location rests with the landowner. The evaluation panel may reject the proposals if they do not follow the good practice guidance set out above, or may accept them at the applicant’s risk. Any planting is at the applicant’s risk and should a tree fail, replanting will not be paid for by the GLA and must be paid for by the funding recipient.
Appendix 1: Grant Evaluation Criteria
The following sheet will be used to assess applications.
Trees Grant 2016-17 Assessment FormName of Assessor:
Project name:
Applicant name:
Project location /borough(s):
Amount of funding requested:
Match funding:
Number of trees proposed to plant:
Landowner permission for project: / YES/NO [projects can’t proceed without landowner permission]
Summary of project
Criteria / Description / Score / Considerations and comments (based on description)
Trees Programme 2016-17 aims (Each row item having a maximum score available of 5. See scoring scale below* )
Woodland creation / Does the project plant a minimum of 5,000 whips in a well-designed woodland which responds to the local context.
OR: Groups of trees in parks and green spaces / Does the project plant a minimum of 50 trees (of which one third are standards) that will change the character of the space?
OR: Street tree and public realm tree planting / Does the project plant a minimum of 25 street trees that will improve the highway or public realm?
Project is in area of low tree cover / Project contributes to increasing the canopy cover in an area with low canopy cover.
Benefits and outcomes (Each row item having a maximum score available of 5)
Place-shaping / How well does the project fit with and contribute to the surrounding area? Does the project improve green links to and from schools, high streets or other civic locations?
Environmental / Are there clear environmental benefits from the project (for example reduction in surface water flooding)
Community / Are there clear social benefits of the project over and above those that result from the improvements to the space(s). Consider health, training, volunteering, community cohesion, etc.
Deliverability (Each row item having a maximum score available of 5)
Funding / Is there a clear project budget? Does the project include a match-funding offer? Will funding deliver new planting or add value to existing planting programmes?
Maintenance / Has future management and maintenance been fully considered?
Total
* Scores for range from 1-5 (1 = Low, 5 = High). Where:
1 / Does not meet the minimum aims of the programme, does not describe the details of the project.
2 / Meets the minimum aims of the programme, describes some details about the project but does not explain wider context
3 / Meets the minimum aims of the programme, clearly explains the project and puts it in context.
4 / Goes beyond the minimum aims of the programme, clearly explains and evidences the project and puts it in context
5 / Ambitious programme or project which exceeds the minimum aims of the programme, detailed explanation and evidence of the project, includes elements of innovation in approach
London Tree Programme Grants 2016-17: Application Form