LV4: Hard bases for livestock feeders

Find out about eligibility and requirements for the hard bases for livestock feeders item.

From:
Rural Payments Agency and Natural England
Published
2 April 2015
Last updated
3 February 2025 — See all updates
Grant type:
Capital item
Land use:
Livestock management, Uplands and Water quality
Tiers or standalone items:
Higher Tier, Mid Tier and Standalone capital items
Funding (per unit per year):
£201 to £300

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 

£290.63 per base.

How this item benefits the environment

 Providing hard bases where livestock can stand to feed reduces the risk of:

  • runoff
  • water pollution from livestock trampling (poaching) and manures

Where you can use this item 

You can use this item in areas targeted for the reduction of water pollution caused by farming

You cannot use this item:

  • under livestock housing, roofs or cattle handling facilities
  • within 10 metres (m) of ditches, streams or waterways
  • on historic or archaeological features identified in your Historic Environment Farm Environment Record (HEFER)

What you must do to use this item

You must:

  • dig the soil to a depth of at least 150 millimetres (mm) or down to a naturally occurring hard surface
  • extend the dug area around the feeder to a width of at least 2.5m
  • lay a geotextile membrane over the area before putting down hardcore
  • compact hardcore to a depth of at least 150mm
  • add at least 50mm of level and dry sand or concrete as a working surface to the finished hardcore (‘blinding’)
  • edge the hard base with timber boards

Evidence you must keep 

You must keep and provide with your claim:

  • photographs of the site during the different stages of construction or contracts, invoices or other documents confirming the technical specification for the completed works
  • photographs of the completed works in place and installed

You must also keep and provide on request:

  • any consents or permissions connected with the work
  • receipted invoices or bank statements where a receipted invoice is unavailable
  • photographs of 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.

Other items you can use with this item

You can use this item with these items:

LV7: Livestock troughs

LV8: Pipework associated with livestock troughs

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. It’s not part of this item’s requirements.   

You should make sure the area chosen is a suitable size for the number of livestock.

British Standards

Check to make sure the work meets relevant British Standards.

Updates to this page

Published 2 April 2015
Last updated 3 February 2025 + show all updates

  1. General improvement for clarity.

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

  3. Information updated for applications in 2016.

  4. First published.

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