AS in previous years , the launch of The Countryside Stewardship Scheme sees three components to the Scheme for the 2022 year : 1 . Higher Tier 2 . Mid-Tier 3 . Capital Grants David Morley , Head of Conservation & Environment at H & H Land & Estates , explores the detail for each .

1 . Higher Tier This Scheme is targeted at land that can deliver significant conservation gains . It is aimed mainly at farms coming out of Higher-Level Environmental Stewardship ( HLS ) agreements , and farms with SSSIs , moorland , woodland , or other high priority habitats .

The main change this year is that the payment rates for many higher tier options have been increased , as previously announced . Many farms coming to the end of their HLS agreement have been offered the opportunity to extend their agreement by a further 12 months , rather than entering into Higher Tier CS . In previous years , this has been financially the better option in most cases . With the increase in payment rates , however , the decision to extend an HLS agreement or apply for Higher Tier is less clear cut . If you have recently been offered an HLS extension , it may be worth exploring Higher Tier to work out if that may , in fact , now be the better option for your farm .

Other changes to the Scheme this year include :

• The WD9 Livestock Exclusion supplement can now be used in conjunction with upland & moorland options UP1 ( Enclosed Rough Grazing ), UP2 ( Rough Grazing for Birds ) and UP3 ( Management of Moorland ) where complete livestock exclusion is considered necessary to facilitate habitat restoration

• There are new options for lowland peatland on arable land and grassland to help raise water levels

• Options WD6 & WD12 ( Creation of Wood-pasture , outside and inside SDA respectively ) are now available on arable land

For those interested in Higher Tier , application packs must be ordered by 31st March , an initial application needs to be submitted by 29th April 2022 . Farmers need to take action quickly if they want to apply for Higher Tier . However , if you are not already in discussion with Natural England , the chances are your application will not be supported for this Scheme year .

2 . Mid-Tier

Mid-Tier is aimed at delivering environmental gains at a landscape scale across the wider countryside through 5-year agreements . Applications can include a 2-year Capital Grants programme for hedge or wall restoration and , if in a target area for water quality , water capital items , such as roofing middens and silage pits . In a significant change from previous years , Mid-Tier agreement holders will be able to apply for another 2-year capital grant programme once their initial programme is complete and claimed for .

For the first time , in 2022 , it will be possible to apply for Mid-Tier online . Farm Environment Record and Options Maps will still need to be completed separately and e-mailed to the RPA . Applicants can alternatively download a full application pack from the RPA website , if they prefer .

Although some have reduced , the payment rates for many Mid- Tier options have improved . So , if you have previously ruled out Mid- Tier due to low payment rates , it may be worth another look to see if it is now viable . Other changes for 2022 include that option SW8 ( Intensive Grassland Management next to Watercourses ) can now be applied for in the uplands ( SDA land ).

For a Mid-Tier agreement to start on 1st January 2023 , the application window runs until 29th July 2022 . If CSFO endorsement is needed for water capital items , all the necessary evidence must be provided to them by 20th May .

With so many options and capital items available within Mid-Tier , taking professional advice is essential as it is not always straightforward deciding which is the best way to go . Here at H & H Land & Estates we have submitted over 250 successful Countryside Stewardship applications in the last six years .

3 . Capital Grants

The Scheme is now open and has a rolling application window , and it will remain open as long as there is budget available ; applications can be made online . Unfortunately , the capital grant rates have not been increased at the same time as option payment rates were reviewed . Provided they are not being paid to do the same thing twice , farmers already in a Higher-Level Environmental Stewardship ( HLS ) agreement can also apply for any of the standalone capital grants which include :

1 . Hedgerow restoration and new hedge planting 2 . Dry stone wall restoration 3 . Watercourse fencing 4 . Water Capital & Air Quality

Grants

There is a separate £ 20k limit for each of boundary restoration , water capital and air quality grants . Water Capital Grants continue to be available in much of Cumbria and several other catchments across the north of England . There has been talk of expanding the water quality target areas to include more catchments , but it is not yet completely clear that these will be fully funded in 2022 . Most water capital and air quality grant items must be endorsed by the local Natural England Catchment Sensitive Farming Officer .

4 . Countryside Stewardship Renewals

Agreements that started in January 2018 will finish at the end of this year . The RPA will likely offer those agreement holders a “ mirror ” agreement , which effectively provides a new 5-year agreement on the same basis as the original one . The difference is that this new agreement will be governed by domestic scheme rules , rather than EU regulations .

Options cannot be changed , and capital works cannot be added to a mirror agreement . In a change from previous years , however , farmers who accept the offer of a mirror agreement will be able to apply for a separate capital grant agreement on the same land . Therefore , the only reason not to accept a mirror agreement offer would be if the options need to be changed in some way or the capital items you want to apply for will exceed the £ 20k limit for a Capital Grant application . We strongly recommend anyone in this position seeks professional advice before making a decision .”