AQ2: Low ammonia emission flooring for livestock buildings

Find out about eligibility and requirements for this option.

From:
Rural Payments Agency and Natural England
Published
9 February 2021
Last updated
5 January 2023 — See all updates
Grant type:
Capital item
Land use:
Air quality
Tiers or standalone items:
Higher Tier, Mid Tier and Standalone capital items
Funding (per unit per year):
Up to £100

This item is part of Capital Grants. You must read the Capital items: guidance for applicants and agreement holders to understand the rules and how to apply.

How much you’ll be paid 

£72 per square metre (m2).

How this item benefits the environment

Reducing the mixing of urine and faeces on livestock housing floors and the rapid removal of the urine will limit the chemical reactions that release ammonia into the air. This helps  improve air quality and the natural environment.  

Low emission floors are typically used with suitable slurry scrapers to r educe the surface area of slurry exposed to the air, so reducing ammonia emissions.

Where you can use this item 

If you have support from a Catchment Sensitive Farming adviser, you can use this item on:

  • holdings targeted for the reduction of ammonia emissions from  agriculture – your Catchment Sensitive Farming adviser will tell you this

  • livestock buildings with solid or slatted floors in slurry-based livestock housing

Catchment Sensitive Farming provides advice where there’s water quality, air quality or flood risk issues linked to farming.

You cannot use this item if:

  • solid flooring is going to be fitted on top of slatted flooring with underfloor slurry storage
  • urine and faeces would not separate effectively on the floor due to the dry nature of manure produced

What you must do to use this item

You must: 

  • install low ammonia emission flooring in livestock housing (such as grooved rubber flooring) designed to separate and rapidly drain urine
  • fit the flooring to the full passageway width
  • cover slatted floors to match the area, gaps and slats of the floor
  • use flooring suitable for the livestock you’re housing
  • ensure the flooring can be retrofitted to solid concrete or slatted floors

You must also install flooring that’s specifically designed to reduce ammonia emissions by at least 25% compared to conventional flooring. The manufacturer’s technical specification should show the ammonia emission factor (EF) or percentage ammonia emissions reduction. It must be verified by a published peer-reviewed research paper, official European design standard or a testing system report (for example an RAV official test reference number).

You must use flooring that’s suitable for:

  • the dimensions and slope of the floor area
  • where you’ll install it
  • the type and number of livestock housed
  • the amount of slurry produced

You should:

  • steam clean concrete floor before you install rubber flooring (tiles or rolls to avoid it getting damaged
  • stretch the rubber to avoid it bubbling

Cattle housing

In cattle housing, install flooring that separates urine from faeces effectively and quickly directs the urine away to storage. You must scrape the floor:

  • with a scraper that’s effective for use with the flooring installed
  • at a frequency in line with the product specification (at least 4 times a day) to remove faeces to storage

Pig housing 

Install partially slatted flooring that’s designed with a slat shape, surface and openings. This will increase the speed of slurry and urine drainage to an underfloor storage pit or to channels fitted with scrapers for the rapid removal of slurry. Reduce air flow over the slatted area.

Evidence you must keep 

You must keep written support from your Catchment Sensitive Farming adviser and provide with your application.

You must keep and provide with your claim:

  • photographs of the site during the different stages of construction
  • the completed works

You must also keep and provide on request:

  • technical specification of the product showing evidence of ammonia emission factor (EF), or percentage reduction in ammonia emissions and related verification documentation
  • receipted invoices or bank statements where a receipted invoice is unavailable
  • photographs of the site before works start

Read the record keeping and site visit requirements in the Agreement holder’s guide: Capital Grants, Higher Tier capital grants and Protection and Infrastructure grants for more information.

Advice to help you use this item

The following advice may help you to use this item, but you do not have to follow it to get paid.

Slurry scrapers

There are different types of slurry scraper. You should install one suitable for the type of floor installed, such as an automatic slurry scraper with a toothed rubber blade for grooved rubber flooring.

Product manufacturers may specify you use a scraper specifically designed for use with their flooring product to make sure the flooring:

  • is scraped effectively
  • meets the ammonia emission factor
  • is not damaged

Slatted floors

In pig housing, using trays underneath the slats will help drain urine and reduce ammonia build up.

You can also use curtains under the slatted floor and scrapers in the channels under the flooring to remove slurry quickly and frequently.

Reducing ammonia emissions

There are several publications available to give you advice on reducing ammonia emissions. For example:

How cattle house flooring can reduce ammonia emissions on the AHDB website

Catchment Sensitive Farming case study 170 on the Natural England website

Pig buildings and housing on the AHDB website

Best Available Techniques (BAT) Reference Document for the Intensive Rearing of Poultry or Pigs on the European Commission site

Updates to this page

Published 9 February 2021
Last updated 5 January 2023 + show all updates

  1. The Requirements section of this page has been updated

  2. First published.

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