Agri-Environment Schemes and Rural Grants

Townsend Chartered Surveyors offer expert advice on all agri-environment schemes and rural grants. We can advise and assist landowners and farmers to ensure they achieve the maximum benefit from the schemes below:

Environmental Land Management Schemes (ELMS)

As the UK’s leading agents in respect to subsidy distribution schemes please click here for our comments on the current proposals and pilots under the Environmental Land Management Schemes (ELMS): the Sustainable Farm Incentive (SFI), Local Nature Recovery and Landscape Recovery.

Countryside Stewardship Schemes

Mid Tier

Mid-Tier Countryside Stewardship is a competitive scheme open to all, which funds both a variety of ongoing “revenue” options such as wild bird seed mixes and reduced fertiliser inputs on grassland, and up to £150,000 in capital grant funding. The deadline for ordering a Mid-Tier application pack is the 31st May and the application deadline is the 31st July for Mid-Tier agreements with a start date of 1st January the following year.

Capital Grants

Up to £60,000 of funding split into a maximum £20,000 in each of three categories:

  • Hedgerows and boundaries – funding for creating and restoring hedges and stone walls
  • Water Quality – funding for works aimed at improving local water quality, such as re-concreting yards and new livestock troughs
  • Air Quality – funding for works to improve local air quality such as new flooring for livestock buildings and automatic slurry scrapers

Wildlife offers

These schemes offer many of the same ongoing payments as Mid-Tier Countryside Stewardship, albeit without capital grant funding, but with a simpler application process and no competitive element:

  • Arable – See here for Online Arable categories/options
  • Lowland grazing – See here for Lowland Grazing categories/options
  • Upland – See here for Upland categories/options
  • Mixed farming – See here for Mixed Farming categories/options

Higher Tier

A competitive scheme aimed exclusively at sites of high environmental importance. A wide range of management options are available, and applicants must contact Natural England or the Forestry Commission before applying. Those wishing to enter into agreements with 1st January start date must have requested an application pack by the 31st March and submitted an application by the 3rd May of the previous year.

Woodland Creation and Maintenance Grants

Competitive grant for tree planting and protection, and ongoing maintenance for the first ten years of the new woodland’s life. Minimum area of 3 hectares. Applications scored on biodiversity benefits, size and value for money. Maximum £6,800/ha for initial planting costs including protection.

Woodland Management Plans

Non-competitive grant of £20/ha (min £1,000) on first 100 hectares and £10/ha on more than 100 hectares. Minimum area of 3 hectares. Open all year round.

Woodland Tree Health

Non-competitive grant to assist with restoration and improvement of woodland where certain diseases have been identified. Open all year round.

Recent articles/updates – click here

Mark Burton

Mark Burton
BA(Hons). MSc. MRICS.