RP4: Livestock and machinery hardcore tracks
Find out about eligibility and requirements for the livestock and machinery hardcore tracks item.
How much will be paid
£44.63 per metre (m).
Where to use this item
It is available for Countryside Stewardship Mid Tier, Higher Tier and Capital Grants in one of the following:
- with the support of Catchment Sensitive Farming (CSF)
- in combination with options for the management and restoration of habitats or features with the support of a Natural England adviser
Where this item cannot be used
- To repair potholes or upgrade existing constructed tracks and farm drives, that have a man-made surface
- On historic or archaeological features or areas of existing wildlife interest identified on the Farm Environment Record (FER), the Environmental Information Map or the Historic Environment Farm Environmental Record (HEFER)
- Without relevant advice or consents from the Highways Authority, if the proposed route is a Public Right of Way
How this item will benefit the environment
New farm tracks reduce soil compaction and erosion caused by livestock and machinery. They also help reduce channelling of surface runoff and the risk of sediment and other pollutants entering a watercourse.
Requirements
You must:
- make sure all capital works meet the relevant British Standards - examine copies of the most up-to-date standards for guidance
Hardcore tracks
- Excavate a trench at least 2.4m wide and at least 150 millimetres (mm) deep, or down to a naturally occurring hard surface
- Profile the edge of the track with the excavated soil
- Overlay the area with a geotextile membrane if the base of the trench lies on subsoil (a geotextile membrane is not needed if the base is bedrock or chalk)
- Fill the trench with stone or hardcore to a depth of at least 150mm, and compact it
- Finish the top of the track with a finer material (of 18mm to dust) to a depth of 25 to 50mm, and compact it into a convex camber
- Direct any track runoff to a ditch or other stable drainage outlet, or divert it on to grassland
Hardcore tracks using concrete sleepers
- Excavate a trench following the instructions above and in addition:
- Invert the concrete sleepers and lay them slightly proud of the ground
- Lay the sleepers directly on to a level, firm surface and butt them up against each other to form a track (a geotextile membrane is not required)
Hardcore tracks on peaty soils
- Excavate a trench 2.4m wide and at least 300mm deep, or 500mm on deep peats
- Dig out soft pockets in the profile, drain them, fill them with well compacted hardcore and cap them with clay
- Lay a geotextile membrane to the full width of the track, folding up the sides of the trench
- Lay the membrane on to a surface that will not puncture the material
- Allow at least 300mm for any overlap of the membrane
- Fill the trench to within 50mm of the top with stone or hardcore (from 40mm to dust)
- Profile and compact the track to produce a convex camber
- Top off the track with a wearing course (18mm to dust) to a depth of 25 to 50mm, and compact it to produce a convex camber
- Make sure the geotextile membrane is fully covered – if necessary grass turf may be used to prevent exposure of the membrane at the edge of the track
Do not:
- use general, ungraded building rubble
Keeping records
Where you are using this item on a public right of way, consult the local highways authority (LHA) before you apply to get any advice or consent which you need. You do not need to send this with your application, but you will need to send any consents with your payment claim.
You must send the following with your application:
- written support from CSF or Natural England adviser
You must keep the following records and supply them with your payment 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
- any consents or permissions connected from the local highways authority (LHA)
You must keep the following records and supply them on request:
- any consents or permissions connected with the work (in addition to the ones stated above)
- receipted invoices, or bank statements where a receipted invoice is unavailable
- photographs or site before works start
Related Mid Tier and Capital Grants items
You can use this item on the same area as the RP5 - Cross drains item.
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 choose a location
It is best to:
- construct the tracks alongside field boundaries rather than across the middle of the field - this will help preserve the appearance of the landscape
- avoid placing the tracks where they will cause runoff or lead to erosion
- camber the tracks so water sheds continuously off them
- use cross drains or bunds if the tracks cannot be cambered
- use cross drains, if necessary, on sloping tracks or tracks that lead on to a highway
When to add a geotextile membrane
You do not need to use a geotextile membrane for all types of soil. It is not usually needed on firm shale and some limestone or chalk soils except on a steep slope. Clay soils and peats will need a greater depth of stone to make up the track layers.
Tracks used by machinery may need a geotextile membrane and base layer of stone, depending on the type of soil. Concrete sleepers alone are not adequate for machinery tracks.
How to maintain the tracks
You should replace and compact any material lost to potholes and erosion. You should keep the track dry and firm and deal with any problems as soon as they appear.
Permanent ineligible features
Constructed farm tracks may be classed as permanent ineligible features and excluded from area payment schemes.
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) provides farmers with free advice and training to improve water and air quality and reduce flood risk. 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
Last updated 10 October 2023 + show all updates
-
Change to sentence to read - to repair potholes or upgrade existing constructed tracks and farm drives, that have a man-made surface
-
The Where to use this item, Where this item cannot be used, Hardcore tracks using concrete sleepers, Keeping records sections of this page have been updated
-
Added in links to Capital Grants manual as this option is now available for Capital Grants
-
The Keeping records section of this page has been updated
-
Updated for 2017 applications.
-
Updated for second year applications (2016).
-
First published.