FG3: Permanent electric fencing

Find out about eligibility and requirements for the permanent electric fencing 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:
Grassland, Livestock management, 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 

£5.66 per metre (m).

How this item benefits the environment

Controlling livestock protects environmental features and helps to manage habitats.

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

Where you can use this item 

You can use this item either:

  • alongside a habitat management, restoration or creation action or option where you need new fencing to meet the grazing requirements
  • to prevent water pollution caused by farming – you do not need approval from Catchment Sensitive Farming, nor does the parcel need to be in a High Priority area for water quality
  • to protect environmental features such as newly planted trees, buffer strips and field corners taken out of management or as agreed with your Forestry Commission adviser

You cannot use this item on a site where a grant has funded a fence in the last 7 years.

Your Historic Environment Farm Environment Record (HEFER) will identify:

  • scheduled monuments
  • registered parks and gardens
  • registered battlefields
  • Selected Heritage Inventory for Natural England (SHINE) sites

You must not use this item on scheduled monuments, registered parks and gardens or registered battlefields without written approval from Historic England.

You must not use this item on SHINE sites without written approval from your local authority historic environment adviser.

What you must do to use this item

You must install a mains-operated energiser in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations.

If using wooden posts, you must:

  • erect wire fencing at least 1.05m high using a minimum of 4 mild steel or high tensile plain wires attached to the posts with suitable insulators
  • use straining posts with a top diameter of at least 150 millimetres (mm) by at least 2.1m long spaced according to the type of wire used
  • use struts 2.1m long, with a top diameter of least 75mm, morticed (cut) into straining posts – you can use a box strainer with or instead of a strut
  • use intermediate posts 1.65m long with a top diameter of at least 65mm and, spaced according to the type of wire used

If using metal posts, you must:

  • agree using metal posts with your Natural England or Forestry Commission adviser if installing on land in a Higher Tier agreement
  • erect the steel wire mesh fence to at least 1.05m high when installed
  • use straining posts which are at least 2.4m in length
  • place a straining post at every change of direction (horizontal or vertical) and at each end of the fence – you can use suitable bracing to achieve stability
  • struts should be at least 1.8m long and attached to posts using a suitable connector
  • use intermediate posts that are at least 1.65m long

You can install the metal posts according to the manufacturer’s installation recommendations. You can use any type of metal post, but they must be suitable for the site and be durable for 5 years from the start of your agreement.

You must not:

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
  • photographs of the existing site

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

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. In the 'requirements' section a measurement in the first bullet point has been changed and a typo corrected in the third.

  3. Updates made to the Requirements section.

  4. Removal of text confirming FG3 Permanent electric fencing availability under Countryside Stewardship Capital Grants (SFI pilot), as the SFI Capital offer is no longer available.

  5. Update to 'Where to use this option' section, 'Capital grants' sub-section to include protection of environmental features.

  6. The Requirements section of this page has been updated

  7. 'Where to use this item' section updated to include detail on SFI pilot.

  8. Updated Where to use this item

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

  10. Information updated for applications in 2016.

  11. First published.

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