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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 to their existing agreement. Next year Defra will make it easier for legacy HLS agreements and those farming on commons to transfer into new schemes more smoothly.
The previous government said it would be possible to move from CS Mid Tier or HLS agreement into SFI this autumn. The NFU is lobbying the new government to put an automatic process in place to enable these agreement transfers to happen.
If you do want to undertake a transfer 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 in the New 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.
Delivery
Wet weather adjustments
The government has announced temporary adjustments for some agri-environment schemes options following the recent wet weather.
The adjustments apply to live agreements, and have been made to over 40 options and actions in ES (Environmental Stewardship), CS (Countryside Stewardship) and SFI (Sustainable Farming Incentive).
They take effect from 1 October 2023 and will be reviewed on 31 July 2024.
The NFU raised concerns with government about the affects the wet weather is having on members delivering the schemes and welcomes the adjustments and the flexible approach the RPA is taking.
Annual claims
The CS and ES 2024 revenue claim window opened on 14 March. The revenue claim deadline (without reductions) closed on 15 May. However, claims can still be made until 2 September 2024, but reductions increase the later the claim is submitted.
We understand that some members experienced system issues when trying to submit their CS claim online or, for ES, did not receive a claims form in time. If a claim wasn’t submitted prior to the 15 May deadline, it’s important to submit a claim as soon as possible; the reductions increase the closer the claim is submitted to the final deadline of 2 September 2024.
If a claim submission has been delayed by RPA issues, then the agreement holder could have grounds to appeal any reductions to their claim if it resulted in a late claim submission. It’s important to keep a record and evidence of the delay such as a screen shot of the system and evidence of contacting the RPA prior to the deadline.
On 1 December 2023 the RPA began making the 2023 CS and ES/HLS annual claim payments. Although the payment window runs until 30 June 2024, the RPA aims to make the payments as promptly as possible. The majority of 2023 claim payments have now been made. 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.
2024 agreements
The majority of applicants who made a Higher Tier or Mid Tier application in 2023 will have received an offer and agreement.
Although a handful of agreement holders won’t yet have a live agreement, the RPA is working to get these offers out as soon as possible. This is an overall improvement in delivery compared with previous years.
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.
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.
Capital Grants
Capital Grants may have been included as part of a revenue agreement (CS Mid Tier or Higher Tier), or could be a standalone Capital Grant agreement. Agreements from 2023 onwards have three years to complete the capital works.
Standalone Capital Grants are currently available with a rolling application window, meaning you can make applications at any time of year. A claim for a Capital Grant item can also be made at anytime of the year. See the claims process section for more information.
The Capital Grant 2024 offer provides standalone capital item agreements that deliver environment outcomes within four groups, boundaries, trees and orchards; water quality; air quality; and natural flood management. There is no limit to the value of capital items in these groups. There are 70 options available.
The 2024 Higher Tier capital grant offer provides a selection of specialist Higher Tier capital items to help support environmental benefits for land already in a CS or ES/HLS agreement. There are 20 capital items, with applications open all year.
Land in a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) or Scheduled Monument is now eligible for capital items if the land is already covered by an existing CS or ES/HLS agreement.
You can apply for the capital grants at GOV.UK | Capital Grants 2024.
You can have multiple Capital Grant agreements which, if compatible, may be in the same or a different area. However, you can only apply for one Capital Grant agreement per SBI in any calendar year.
We understand there are plans to introduce new capital items and expand the existing offer.
Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier
CS Higher Tier applications for agreements starting on 1 January 2024 are now closed.
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 summer/early autumn 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 this winter, 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 from early 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. All of those who made an application in 2023 for a 2024 agreement should now have an offer.
The 57 options previously available in Mid Tier have been integrated into the expanded SFI offer for 2024 – there are 102 options in total.
Initially the offer will be available through a controlled roll out via an expression of interest form. The offer will be widely available to apply online for in late July. Agreements will start from January. 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.
