BN7: Hedgerow gapping-up

Find out about eligibility and requirements for the hedgerow gapping-up 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:
Air quality, Biodiversity, Boundaries, Priority habitats, Uplands and Water 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 

£17.22 per metre (m). The payment rate is for the total length of boundary hedgerow being gapped-up, not for each side of the boundary.

How this item benefits the environment

Lengths of hedgerow that are gapped-up will rejuvenate with new growth to form a continuous hedgerow boundary.

This will:

  • provide new habitat and food sources for bees, pollinators and birds
  • help capture carbon

This item can help you protect, recover and improve biodiversity on your land.

Where you can use this item 

You can use this item where you have management control of both sides of the boundary with planted boundary lines of shrubs that are:

  • at least 20m long
  • less than 5m wide between major woody stems at the base
  • made up of at least 80% native shrubs

You cannot use this item on lengths of hedge managed under Countryside Stewardship (CS) option BE3: Management of hedgerows or CS Higher Tier action CHRW4: Manage hedgerows  

What you must do to use this item

You must:

  • carry out work when the hedge is dormant (usually between 1 November and 31 March)
  • prepare a planting strip at least 1.5m wide with good soil conditions
  • clear existing vegetation to remove competition for new planting
  • only apply any herbicide to the 1.5m strip in August or September before planting
  • prevent livestock and grazing animals from damaging the hedge by setting fencing at least 1.2m from the centre of the hedge or as close to the base of the bank as possible (if there’s a bank)
  • remove individual guards and tree shelters once the plants are established
  • replace all failed plants in the following planting season

Plant requirements

Make sure plants are:

  • 2-year-old transplants
  • between 450 millimetres (mm) and 600mm high
  • native species, with no single species making up more than 70% of the total
  • planted in 2 rows 40 centimetres (cm) apart that are staggered with at least 6 plants per metre
  • kept clear of weeds until they ‘re established

You must not obstruct or block entry points to open access land.

Evidence you must keep 

You must keep photographs of the completed work and provide with your claim. 

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
  • the date, location and method of any weed control carried out
  • the dates of planting
  • details of age, height and species planted
  • a photograph of each length of hedge entered into the item before work starts

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 and actions you can use with this item

You can use this item with:

BN4:Earth bank restoration

BN9: Hedgerow supplement - substantial pre-work

FG15:Water gates

Sustainable Farming Incentive actions

You can use this item with these actions:

CHRW1: Assess and record hedgerow condition

CHRW2: Manage hedgerows

CHRW3: Maintain or establish hedgerow trees

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.   

When to plant

You should plant in November unless:

  • the ground is frozen or waterlogged – then plant when conditions are favourable
  • you’re planting in clay – then plant in March
  • you’re planting into a newly-restored earth bank – then plant the following autumn

Successful gapping-up

To gap-up a hedgerow successfully:

  • prepare the ground so the soil becomes friable (has a crumbly texture) and is clear of other growth
  • plant native species that already grow in the local area
  • take care of roots before planting by keeping them covered at all times
  • avoid opening more than one bag of plants at a time

Consider planting new hedgerow trees if they’re characteristic of the local landscape character.

Controlling weeds

You should control competitive weeds (including brambles, nettles and grasses) during the first growing season. This will reduce the weeds competing with:

coppiced stem-establishment and regrowth

soil moisture, nutrients and light

Protecting new plants

Fence off the plants if sheep, cattle or horses graze the land. Keep fences far enough away so the hedgerow can grow at least 1.5m in width.

If there’s a known problem with rabbits or hares, you may need rabbit netting (either on its own or with stock fencing).

Avoid using spiral guards as they:

  • limit the amount of dense growth at the base of each plant
  • are unsightly
  • are difficult to remove

Updates to this page

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

  1. General improvement for clarity.

  2. Removal of text confirming Hedgerow gapping-up availability under Countryside Stewardship Capital Grants (SFI pilot), as the SFI Capital offer is no longer available.

  3. 'Where to use this item' section updated to include detail on SFI pilot Hedgerows standard.

  4. 'Air quality' added to Land use.

  5. Updated Where to use this item and how much will be paid.

  6. The Requirements and Keeping records section of this page have been updated

  7. Updated for 2017 applications.

  8. Information updated for applications in 2016.

  9. First published.

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