THE Countryside Stewardship Scheme (CSS) has reopened for applications, offering capital grant funding and annual management payments to farmers and land managers. Natural England will make three types of CSS agreement available and deadlines are approaching for those interested in the higher tier.

Application packs for the higher tier must be requested by April 13, while those interested in the mid tier programme have until July 31.

Schemes covered include:

Mid Tier

These are the most common five-year agreements, offering annual payments for management options, such as, growing wholecrop cereals, low-input grassland and growing wild-bird cover. In addition, these agreements can include capital grant funding towards items such as stock fencing, hedgerow improvements and water trough installations.

Higher Tier

Typically these are 10- year agreements for the most environmentally sensitive areas, such as woodland, moorland and commons. The higher tier agreements are very complex agreements, but usually higher yielding and are also supported by funding for various capital items such as scrub control, livestock handling facilities and woodland improvements.

Capital Grant Funding

As well as the multi-year agreements, CSS also supports capital grants to improve water quality and traditional farm boundaries. These form part of a two-year works plan and in high priority areas can include works such as laying concrete yards, roofing livestock areas and hedgerow restoration.

James Wotton MRICS FAAV, Agricultural Surveyor with Greenslade Taylor Hunt said: “The Countryside Stewardship Scheme offers 245 different options and can provide a secure income to agricultural businesses without impacting hugely on the farming operations. The capital funding available for practical improvements is always worth considering too.’’

The application process is competitive and will be assessed on the environmental benefit that is being offered, it is therefore vital that the application is designed to maximise the applicant’s and Natural England’s objectives to achieve the best results.

If you would like to discuss CSS further and investigate whether you can benefit from the scheme, contact a member of the GTH Rural Professional Department. James Wotton can be contacted at Sedgemoor Auction Centre on 01278-410250 or email james.wotton@gth.net, Jamie Batt can be contacted at the Yeovil office on 01935-423474 or email jamie.batt@gth.net, for Devon contact Kirsty Short MRICS FAAV on 01884-243000 or email kirsty.short@gth.net