Applications are now open for the 2022 Countryside Stewardship Schemes with the timeframes as follows:
Following customer feedback, some changes have been made to the available schemes this year, including:
Further to the above the RPA has simplified options to make them easier to understand and moved away from penalty charges for non-compliance towards a more collaborative approach to deliver the scheme.
Management Options
Management options are available to help you to:
1. Manage land for the benefit of local wildlife
2. Support local priority habitats such as:
3. Manage flood-risk in your local area
4. Convert and manage land to organic certification standards
5. Manage and maintain landscape features
Capital grants
The Mid Tier allows you to include capital items in your application. Capital grants are available to help you to:
1. Manage and maintain the boundaries on your holding including hedgerows, dry-stone walls, stock fencing and gates
2. Manage water and air pollution and improve water quality in a high water quality priority area for your farm business and your local water catchment, including:
If you are in a high water quality priority area, you can make an application that only includes capital items intended to improve water quality. These capital-only agreements have a maximum value of £20,000.
Organic management and conversion options
You can apply for organic management and conversion options in combination with other grants. Or you can make an application that only includes organic options.
Choosing a Wild Pollinator and Farm Wildlife Package (WPFWP)
Your farm business could benefit from a WPFWP. This package groups management options together. This will help you to provide farmland wildlife with the essential resources they need to thrive and breed successfully.
The Wildlife Offers
There are 4 Wildlife Offers to help you to support the wildlife on your farm. The Offers group selected management options together, so you can help birds, pollinators and other farmed wildlife thrive and breed successfully.
Wildlife Offers help you to provide:
You receive an annual payment each year for 5 years. The amount you receive depends on the options you choose and compliance with your agreement.
Benefits of Wildlife Offers include:
Applying this year is the best way to prepare for the government’s future Environmental Land Management (ELM) Scheme, which will reward farmers for producing ‘public goods’, such as better air and water quality or improved access to the countryside.
If you have any questions about the Mid Tier or require our support in the application process then please don’t hesitate to contact us.