New Countryside Stewardship Schemes for 2018

For the last few years the two main agri environment schemes available to farmers (Mid-Tier and Higher Tier Countryside Stewardship) have proved to be overly complex and unpopular. In addition, the ‘competitive’ nature of the application process means that a lot of work is required to complete the application with no guarantee of getting an agreement.

In a welcome development, Natural England have now launched four new schemes to address the low application rates seen in recent years. The new schemes offer a guaranteed 5-year agreement providing applicants can meet the minimum criteria. There is a shortened list of management options and a much-simplified application process compared to the Mid or Higher Tier schemes. At last!

The four new schemes available are as follows:

• Lowland Grazing Offer (request paper application pack by 31^st May 2018)
• Mixed Farming Offer (request paper application pack by 31^st May 2018)
• Upland Offer (request paper application pack by 31^st May 2018)
• Arable Offer (online only application – request pre-application pack by 31^st May 2018)

A few things to watch out for:

• You can’t apply if you have an existing older style Environmental Stewardship scheme that continues into 2019.
• You can’t apply if your farm contains a Site of Special Scientific Interest or a Scheduled Monument.
• None of the management options applied for can overlap with any BPS Ecological Focus Areas.

You will need to pick one of the four schemes depending on the nature of your farm and what land you want to include. The application deadline for all of theses schemes is 31^st July 2018 with agreements starting on 1^st January 2019. Each scheme offers a different selection of management options to pick from and there should be a good variety to suit most farms. The options include: