RP2: Gateway relocation

Find out about eligibility and requirements for the gateway relocation item.

From:
Rural Payments Agency and Natural England
Published
2 April 2015
Last updated
9 February 2021 — See all updates
Grant type:
Capital item
Land use:
Biodiversity, Uplands, Water quality
Tiers or standalone items:
Higher Tier, Mid Tier, Standalone capital items
Funding (per unit per year):
£301 to £400

How much will be paid

£369.59 per gateway.

Where to use this item

It is available for Countryside Stewardship Mid Tier, Higher Tier and Capital Grants where all of the following apply:

  • in areas targeted for the reduction of water pollution from agriculture
  • where a gateway is acting as a conduit for water movement
  • to move gateways associated with farm machinery or livestock

Where this item cannot be used

Without relevant advice or consent if the existing or new gateway provides access to:

  • a historic routeway
  • a Public Right of Way
  • a highway
  • a byway open to all traffic (BOAT)

How this item will benefit the environment

This item will move the gateway to a suitable location where it will not act as a pathway for water runoff. This will prevent polluted surface water from leaving fields through gateways and help to reduce risk of soil erosion and diffuse pollution.

Requirements

You must:

  • leave the existing gate posts where they are, keeping any existing stone or slate posts that are traditional landscape or historic features
  • re-route the existing trackways associated with the gateway and make good the disused sections
  • gap up the old gateway using materials that match the character of the rest of the boundary
  • use new hanging and shutting posts in the new gateway
  • carry out all capital works to the relevant British Standards - see copies of the most up-to-date standards for guidance

Keeping records

Before you apply you must get consents and advice from:

  • the local planning authority (if the new gateway provides access to public highways or byways open to all traffic)
  • the Highways Authority (if a public right of way passes through the existing or new gateway)
  • a historic environment specialist (if the gateway is on a historic routeway)

You do not need to provide these with your application, but you will need to send consents or permissions with your payment claim.

You must keep the following records and supply them with your annual payment claim:

  • photographs of the completed work
  • consents and/or advice for works if required (as listed above)

You must keep the following records and supply them on request:

  • any consents or permissions connected with the work (in addition to the ones listed above)
  • receipted invoices, or bank statements where a receipted invoice is unavailable
  • photographs of the site before works start

Please see the record keeping and inspection requirements as set out in the relevant Mid Tier, Higher Tier or Capital Grants guidance for more detail. You can find the latest guidance at Countryside Stewardship: get funding to protect and improve the land you manage.

You can use this item on the same area as the following items:

Advice and suggestions for how to carry out this item

The following advice is helpful, but they are not requirements for this item.

How to reduce surface water flows

You may need to carry out other work to reduce surface water runoff, including:

  • relieving compaction
  • cultivating crops across slopes
  • using temporary water storage areas to capture surface flows
  • positioning new trackways where they do not attract surface water flows
  • positioning cross-drains along the track if new trackways cannot be created

How to maintain the local character

Restore the old gateway so that it blends in with the rest of the boundary. For example, new hedging should match the species mix of the existing hedge.

Biodiversity

This item has been identified as being beneficial for biodiversity. All Countryside Stewardship habitat creation, restoration and management options are of great significance for biodiversity recovery, as are the wide range of arable options in the scheme. Capital items and supplements can support this habitat work depending on the holding’s situation and potential.

The connectivity of habitats is also very important and habitat options should be linked wherever possible. Better connectivity will allow wildlife to move/colonise freely to access water, food, shelter and breeding habitat, and will allow natural communities of both animals and plants to adapt in response to environmental and climate change.

Further information

Catchment Sensitive Farming (CSF) operates in parts of the country where there are water quality issues linked to farming. The scheme provides farmers with free advice and training. See guidance for further information on CSF support.

Read Countryside Stewardship: get funding to protect and improve the land you manage to find out more information about Mid Tier, Higher Tier and Capital Grants including how to apply.

Updates to this page

Published 2 April 2015
Last updated 9 February 2021 + show all updates

  1. Added in links to Capital Grants manual as this option is now available for Capital Grants

  2. The Keeping records section of this page has been updated

  3. Updated for 2017 applications.

  4. Information updated for applications in 2016

  5. First published.

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