Latest news
Policy
As part of the Autumn Budget, Defra has confirmed that information on Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier will be published in December, with the schemes due to roll out next year. The scheme will have a rolling application window and a streamlined application process.
Farmers with expiring HLS or Higher Tier agri-environment agreements this year will be offered an extension or mirror agreement. Next year, Defra will make it easier for legacy HLS agreements and those farming on commons to move into new schemes more smoothly.
The NFU is lobbying the new government to put an automatic process in place to enable schemes moves to happen.
If you do want to move agreements before the automatic process is in place, please contact the RPA.
In May, Defra published details of the ‘expanded’ SFI offer which brings together SFI and Countryside Stewardship Mid Tier.
Farmers will be able to choose from 102 actions, 57 of which were previously available in Mid Tier. Only eight of these have kept to a five year term, the rest are three years in length.
There are 23 new actions covering precision farming, agro-forestry, and stone walls. Currently, the offer is available through a controlled roll out via an expression of interest form.
Defra has published an overview of the future offer and an indicative list of the Higher Tier actions available going forward. More details will be provided in December.
Our expectation is the new Higher Tier application process should be available online in the Rural Payments Service next year. There will be a rolling application window and start dates.
Agreements will normally start the month after an application is approved, with the first agreements starting in 2025. Applications will then stay open throughout the year.
Scheme delivery
Annual claims
On 1 December 2024 the RPA will start making the 2024 CS and ES/HLS annual claim payments. Although the payment window runs until 30 June 2025, the RPA aims to make the payments as promptly as possible. Each claim is run through a series of checks by the RPA to validate and verify it – in some cases these checks can take longer than others.
Capital item applications and offers
As of 27 November, Defra has released a new statement giving an update on capital grants. A Defra spokesperson said: “As a result of unprecedented demand some of the capital grants offer for farmers will temporarily close to new applications.
“Agreements that have already been signed will be met, with further funding prioritised to help build a sustainable farming sector.”
Defra has said some capital grants will temporarily close – a total of 76 grant items.
For those who have applied already, if an application relates to the grants that are temporarily withdrawn, it will be on hold for now. You will be contacted in early 2025 with information about what happens next.
The RPA has said it will continue to accept new applications in this period for:
- Woodland Tree Health grants, which help protect tree health against devastating plant pests and diseases.
- Capital grant plans and management plans to help support the development of new CS Higher Tier agreements.
- Protection and Infrastructure grants and Higher Tier capital grants, help support delivery of high value environmental benefits, such as re-wetting peat.
The NFU will publish more detail on this as it becomes available.
For more information, visit: GOV.UK | An update on capital grants.
Claims process
To be paid for the revenue actions in a CS Mid Tier, Higher Tier or ES/HLS agreement, including agreements which started in 2024, an annual revenue claim must be submitted during the claim window.
The CS and ES 2024 revenue claim window opened on 14 March. The revenue claim deadline (without reductions) closed on 15 May. Claims can however still be made until 2 September 2024, but reductions increase the later the claim is submitted.
CS agreement holders will have the option to either submit a claim form, or an annual declaration during the claim window. The annual declaration provides a more straightforward process for agreements which require no changes.
Before submitting a claim, it is important to check that the land use codes recorded for the land parcels are correct and consistent with the claim. Failure to do this may lead to processing delays and hold up payments.
Payments for revenue claims typically begin in December, but can be made anytime between December and June.
Capital Grant claims can be made at any time of the year if it is:
- within 3 months of the end of your agreement - a late claim reduction will apply if the claim is received between 3 and 6 months
- after the capital work is finished
- after you have been charged or invoiced.
Multiple partial Capital Grant claims can be made for most, but not all, options as long as that part of the work is complete and invoiced. This can help manage cash flow for work which is often completed in stages.
RPA guidance on submitting a CS revenue or capital claim can be found on: GOV.UK | How to make a capital or revenue claim for Countryside Stewardship.
RPA guidance on how to get a payment for a ES/HLS agreement can be found at: GOV.UK | How to get paid under an Environmental Stewardship agreement.
Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier
For 2025 agreements, there will be a different approach to the application timelines and process in 2024.
An overview of the future offer and an indicative list of the actions available in 2025 has been published on: GOV.UK | Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier 2025.
It includes more than 70 actions which such as higher density agroforestry, deer control and management, moorland and lowland peat management, and flood mitigation on grassland.
We expect more information on the 2025 Higher Tier offer to be published later this year; this should explain who is eligible, how to apply and request specialist advice, and more details of the actions available.
Higher Tier grants often support long-term actions or areas of environment significance. These grants may therefore require specialist advice from Natural England, Forestry Commission, Historic England, or the Environment Agency.
Later this winter, we expect potential applicants to be able to start working with the relevant arm’s length bodies to prepare their application. In most cases this will be Natural England.
From next year, a Higher Tier application process should be available online in the Rural Payments Service. Agreements will normally start the month after an application is approved, with the first agreements starting in 2025.
Applications will then stay open throughout the year.
Countryside Stewardship Mid Tier and Wildlife Offers
This year marks the last year of new Countryside Stewardship Mid Tier and Wildlife Offer agreements beginning.
The 57 options previously available in Mid Tier have been integrated into the expanded SFI offer for 2024 – there are 102 options in total.
More detail on the expanded offer can be found on our SFI – essential information page.
Countryside Stewardship Facilitation Fund
Applications for the 2024 round of the CSFF (Countryside Stewardship Facilitation Fund) have now closed.
The CSFF supports individuals who act as facilitators to bring together groups of farmers, foresters, and other land managers to improve environmental outcome themes in their local area. Alongside the existing funding themes (air quality, increasing biodiversity and supporting priority species and water management) a new and welcome theme of net zero has been introduced.
Following NFU lobbying, there are a few other changes to the 2024 round to enable smaller groups to apply and to make some of the administration processes simpler.
Applicants were able to bid for a share of £2.5 million of funding which will be made available over the next three years. Each group could apply for up to £50,000 to deliver improvements.
Since it was established in 2015, the fund has seen around 6,000 farmers and land managers come together in 224 groups across the country.
We understand that future rounds of the fund are under review.
