Countryside Stewardship Details

DEFRA has released more information on its new agri-environmental scheme – the Countryside Stewardship Scheme (CSS).  The ‘Introducing Countryside Stewardship’ document gives more information on the applications, available funding, options and payment rates for the new scheme.  To recap, the CSS is the replacement for Environmental Stewardship (ES) that was previously referred to as  NELMS.  The new scheme, with a budget of £900 million, will encompass elements from ES, the English Woodland Grant Scheme (EWGS) and capital grants from Catchment Sensitive Farming (CSF).  The main priority for the scheme remains biodiversity whilst water qualitymoves up the agenda too.  There will be no direct replacement for ELS and all funding will use the same targeted approach as the current HLS, with the aim to deliver good value for taxpayers’ money.

Agreement Structure

Most agreement will be for 5 years. longer agreements will be issued in exceptional circumstances e.g. for those agreements including wetland habitats which require complex changes to waterflow and retention or woodland creations agreements.  Higher Tier agreements will include more complex options such as habitat creation or tailored measures for priority species.  All agreements involving woodland will enter the Higher Tier.

Mid Tier agreements, which are open to anyone, will be scored against priorities in the national targeting framework (yet to be published). Capital items can also be included Higher and Mid tier agreements. Applications can be submitted between June and September, these will be appraised in October with agreements awarded in November and December with a 1^st January start date.

The schemes are competitive but to improve chances of getting an agreement, applicants can chose options under the Wild Pollinator and Farm Wildlife Package. This is a specific group of management options available to farmland areas in lowland England.  Under the Mid Tier options should be applied over 3-5% of the land entered into a scheme, for Higher Tier this rises to 5-10%. This is generally more than was needed to enter an ELS agreement.  Options can be sited on areas used for Ecological Focus Areas under Greening but be aware of double funding reductions (see below).  Options within this package include nectar flower mix, pond management, brassica fodder crops and enhanced overwinter stubble.

The Hedgerows and Boundaries Capital Grant, of up to £5,000, will be open to those not in a current Environmental Stewardship Scheme, or CSS Higher or Mid Tier. Capital items include hedges and boundaries, tree health issues, woodland management plans and feasibility studies. The application window for capital grants will be February to April, applications will be appraised in May with agreements issues from June onwards.  Feasibility and implementation plans, woodland management plans and woodland tree health applications can be made at any time.

Facilitation funding will also be available, this is to set up ‘landscape scale’ agreements.  The details of this are not yea clear but the area of land involved must cover at least 2,000 hectares (unless a smaller environmental boundary exists) and spread over at least 4 adjoining holdings.

In 2015, Water Capital Grants will be available. Funds of up to £10,000 will pay for improving infrastructure aiming to reduce water pollution. Applications will be accepted between 2^nd March and 30^th April, works must be completed by 19^th January 2016.  Woodland Creation Grants will be available from February 2015 (no closing date announced yet), more infomation on both these grants will be available in December.

The computer system will not be ready for these grant applications in 2015 so application forms will be available to download from gov.uk in the new year. 

Double Funding

Unfortunately the issue of double funding is set to continue under this new scheme.  19 options overlap with the management of EFA.  If these options are chosen and the same area is used to meet EFA requirements a funding reduction to the CSS payment will be made. This will not be a universal reduction, in any year when the land is used for EFA and one of these 19 options the payment reduction will be applied.  Reductions range from  50-100%. 

Upland and Organic

As promised, a range of upland and organic options have been included in the scheme.  A proposed payment of £43 per hectare is granted for management of moorland whilst enclosed rough grazing will achieve a payment of £39 per hectare.  There are also some basic organic management options, rates differ depending on the land use.  Organic improved permanent grassland will achieve a payment of £40 per hectare, unimproved permanent grassland £20 per hectare and rotational land £70 per hectare.  Although the full management prescriptions have not yet been published it seems these are similar to the £30 per hectare paid under organic ELS.

The full details including details of over 240 options and capital items can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cap-reform-introducing-countryside-stewardship.  As with previous DEFRA publications ‘more information in our next update’ seems to appear a number of times, this next update is expected in December.