Guidance

Applicant's guide: Capital Grants 2023

Updated 5 August 2024

Applies to England

1. Important dates and scheme changes

This guidance was valid for applications made between 5 January and 31 December 2023. Read the agreement holder’s guidance if your agreement started between these dates.

1.1 Scheme changes for 2023

Agreement duration has increased for new agreements. For applications received from 5 January 2023, Agreement Holders will have 3 years to complete capital works.

Capital items which require support from Catchment Sensitive Farming (CSF) are now available in High, Medium and Low Priority Areas for Water and Air Quality.

A new Natural Flood Management group has been added to the Countryside Stewardship (CS) Capital Grants offer with 3 capital items available in this group - RP31, RP32 and RP33.

For 2023 there is no limit to the value of capital items that can be included in each of these groups:

• boundaries, trees and orchards
• water quality
• air quality
• natural flood management

A new offer - CS Higher Tier Capital Grants - has been introduced, offering 3-year agreements for capital items which deliver additional environmental benefits without the need for a CS Higher Tier agreement.

Land in a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) is now eligible for capital items if the land is already covered by an existing CS or Environmental Stewardship (ES) agreement.

We are applying more proportionate reductions where claims are received late. Instead of a 100% reduction for being one day late, the reduction will be scaled according to how late the claim is.

The fencing specifications for FG1, FG2 and FG3 have been updated. In addition, alternative fence posts material is now allowed for FG9. Changes will apply to agreements applied for after 5 January 2023.

2. About Capital Grants

These grants are standalone capital grants available under CS which can also be used to support and complement CS Mid Tier, Higher Tier, Wildlife Offers and ES Higher Level Stewardship.

Applications will remain open until the funding is allocated. You can submit an application for each Single Business Identifier (SBI) that you manage.

New agreements cannot contain parcels that already have capital works which are incomplete or have not received their final payment.

2.1 What grants are available

Capital Grants are 3-year agreements offering capital items to achieve specific environmental benefits within 4 groups:

• boundaries, trees and orchards (including the former hedgerows and boundaries grant items)
• water quality
• air quality
• natural flood management

There is no limit on either the maximum amount for any application or the amount you can apply for in each of the 4 groups (boundaries, trees and orchards, water quality air quality and natural flood management).

If your application is successful, we will make you an agreement offer. If you accept the offer, you will enter into an agreement with the Rural Payments Agency (RPA).

2.2 Capital items available

There are 70 capital items available, which are listed in section 5. The Countryside Stewardship online grant finder gives a description and essential requirements for each capital item. This includes eligibility and evidence requirements.

You can find the payment rates and details about using supplements in section 5.

Some capital items require CSF approval. These are listed in Annex 2 – Choose capital items to help improve water and air quality and reduce flood risk. If you apply for these and do not have approval, we will remove them from your application.

2.3 How applications are assessed

If it appears that the grant is likely to be oversubscribed, RPA will publicise this in advance of the full funding being allocated. This will include giving you 6 weeks’ notice on GOV.UK in advance of this. Prior to this notification, successful applications will be dealt with on a first come first served basis. However, from the point of this notification, remaining applications will be assessed on a competitive basis with those providing higher environmental benefits given priority.

2.4 What the grant does not cover

The CS Capital Grants do not cover:

• any capital works done (or materials ordered) before the agreement starts
• planning application fees or other transactional fees
• agent fees or other advisory fees
• meeting legal requirements, including planning conditions and tenancy agreements
• any works on a Scheduled Monument (including any works on the boundary of these sites)
• any works on common land
• any works undertaken as part of another grant or obligation (read section 3.3)

3. Who can apply and what land is eligible

The CS Capital grant is open to land managers who are one of the following:

• an owner occupier
• a tenant
• a landlord
• a licensor as long as they have control of all the land and all the activities needed to meet the obligations of the grant for the full duration of the agreement

3.1 Land that is eligible for Capital Grants

To be eligible for Capital Grants, land parcels must be entirely within England.

You must have management control of the relevant parcels for 5 years from the agreement start date or have your application countersigned by the landlord (read section 3.3.1).

The following may also be eligible:

• land parcels already included in another CS agreement or an ES Higher Level Stewardship agreement, as long as the same action isn’t being funded twice, there is sufficient space in the parcel, and the options and items are compatible with each other.
• land parcels subject to an English Woodland Grant Scheme (EWGS) agreement (read section 3.3 for some exceptions)
• land parcels included in a CS Implementation Plan agreement (PA1), Feasibility Study Agreement (PA2), Woodland Management Plan (PA3) or Woodland Tree Health grant agreement (as long as all other eligibility criteria are met) land in a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), but only if it has an existing CS or ES agreement

3.2 Land that is not eligible

The following land is not eligible for Capital Grants:

• common land and shared grazing
• land that is already included in certain other schemes or under obligation (read section 3.3)
• developed land and hard standing (including permanent caravan sites and areas used for permanent storage)

3.3 Management control: who can apply

You must have management control of all the land and all activities needed to meet the requirements of the capital items you select for 5 years from the CS agreement start date, including the durability requirement (read section 2.2).

If you do not, you must get the written consent of all other parties who have management control of the land and activities for 5 years from the start of the agreement.

3.3.1 Tenants

If you occupy land under a tenancy, including the Agricultural Holdings Act 1986, the Agricultural Tenancies Act 1995 (a Farm Business Tenancy) or equivalent, and you are applying for an agreement in your own name, you must have:

• security of tenure for at least 3 years from the start of the CS Capital Grants agreement
• management control of the land for 5 years from the start of the CS Capital Grants agreement – if you do not have this you must get the counter signature of your landlord as part of your application
• control of all the activities over the land to meet the scheme requirements for the chosen capital items
• the agreement of your landlord before you apply

It is your responsibility to check that by joining CS you do not breach the terms of your tenancy agreement.

If the landlord takes over a CS agreement from you once your tenancy has ended, they must be eligible to do so. For example, they must not be an ineligible public body.

3.3.2 Landlords

If you are a landlord and can show that you have enough management control over the land and activities, you can apply for an agreement on land you have let to a tenant.

As the Agreement Holder, you must give your tenant a copy of the CS agreement. We may ask you to provide evidence to show that you have done this. It is your responsibility to make sure that your tenant does not breach the terms of the agreement.

3.3.3 Partnerships

If you are in a business partnership, you can apply for CS. The person signing the application must have the appropriate permission levels in the Rural Payments service.

3.3.4 Licensors

If you are a licensor, you can apply for a CS agreement. It is your responsibility to make sure that the licensee does not breach the terms of the CS agreement.

You must make sure that the licensee is aware of the requirements of the agreement, as relevant to the licence, and include these in the licence agreement.

3.3.5 Licensees

Licensees are usually not eligible for CS as a licence arrangement will not provide sufficient management control of the land to the licensee for the agreement period.

If in practice your licence agreement gives you wider land management responsibilities, this may mean you are a tenant and therefore may be eligible for CS. You must show that you have sufficient management control of the land and activities to be able to apply. See section 3.3.1 for more information about CS for tenants.

3.3.6 Land owned by public bodies

Land owned or run by a public body is in general not eligible for CS. Land is not eligible if it is owned or run by:

• Crown bodies (including all government departments, executive agencies and trading funds)
• non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs)

See a list of all government departments, agencies and public bodies on GOV.UK.

Land owned by some public bodies is eligible for CS provided the work does not form part of their obligations as a public body.

This includes land owned by:

• local authorities
• national park authorities
• public corporations

Parish councils and former college farms are not considered to be public bodies and so are eligible to apply for CS.

3.3.7 Tenants of land owned by public bodies

If you are a tenant of a public body, you will need to check with your landlord if the land is eligible for CS.

If the land is eligible, you will be eligible for CS, but the public body must countersign your application if you do not have security of tenure. You will not be eligible for funding any work which is already a requirement of your tenancy agreement or any other legally binding obligation.

If the land is not eligible, you will still be eligible for CS if you have security of tenure for the full term of the agreement, including the durability requirement, as the public body cannot countersign the application. You will not be eligible for funding any work which is already a requirement of your tenancy agreement or any other legally binding obligation.

3.4 Land receiving other funding

You cannot use CS to pay for any environmental management for which you are already receiving:

• payment from Exchequer funds
• grant aid from any other public body

You cannot use a CS Capital Grants agreement to fund capital works that you:

• are required to carry out under other legally binding obligations
• are currently receiving funding from other sources for
• have already received funding for

You may be able to apply for a CS Capital Grants agreement in addition to an existing CS or ES agreement, as long as you follow the rules set out in section 3.4.2 (Environmental Stewardship) or 3.4.3 (Countryside Stewardship).

We will carry out checks to make sure that capital works are not funded twice from public money.

You must make sure that any work proposed for this grant does not breach the conditions of any other agreement.

3.4.1 Applying for CS where someone else is claiming Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) on the same land (‘dual use’)

In certain circumstances, it is possible for a land parcel to be used by one Single Business Identifier (SBI) to claim BPS and that same land parcel to also be included in a CS application submitted by someone else under their SBI. This is known as ‘dual use’.

If you are in a dual use situation you must be able to demonstrate that you are meeting the rules and eligibility requirements of the scheme you are claiming for.

If you are the CS applicant, you have to meet the CS eligibility rules, including having ‘management control’ of the land included in your CS application. The BPS applicant must show that they have the same land ‘at their disposal’ under the BPS rules (and meet BPS eligibility rules). If you have an agreement with another person who uses the land to apply for BPS, this does not mean that person has the land at their disposal. It is the rights and responsibilities held in relation to the land, and how they operate in practice, which determine this.

An example of ‘dual use’ is where a landlord is able to have management control of the land for CS while the tenant has the same land at their disposal to claim BPS.

If you are the CS applicant, make sure you have a written record before the BPS application deadline of 15 May 2023 that is signed and dated by both parties. This written record could be a tenancy agreement, a letter, or both, which shows:

• the rights and responsibilities you and the BPS applicant in the ‘dual use’ situation each have for the land
• you have management control of the land and the BPS applicant has the land ‘at their disposal’
• you have given a copy of the CS Agreement Document and the terms and conditions (once you receive them) to the other party and that they must meet the terms and conditions (unless you can show that you are carrying out the required activities)

You must also make sure that the ‘dual use’ land parcels are linked to both SBIs in the digital maps in the Rural Payments service. The BPS applicant may need to transfer the land parcels to you using an electronic or paper RLE1 form. Read about how to do this in the RLE1 guidance on GOV.UK.

You may want to get independent professional advice, especially if you previously had a verbal agreement (rather than a written agreement) with the other party.

3.4.2 Environmental Stewardship

Land parcels in Higher Level Stewardship are eligible for CS Capital Grants.

If you intend to apply for a CS Capital Grants agreement on land parcels in an existing ES agreement, you must make sure:

• there is sufficient space in the parcel
• the same capital works are not being funded twice
• the actions required in your existing agreement and your new CS Capital Grants agreement are compatible

3.4.3 Countryside Stewardship

CS Mid Tier and Higher Tier

You can enter land parcels in an existing CS Mid Tier or Higher Tier agreement into a CS Capital Grants agreement, only if any capital works in your CS Mid Tier or Higher Tier agreement have been fully completed and paid for.

If you have finished and been paid for your CS Mid Tier or Higher Tier capital works and want to apply for an additional CS Capital Grants agreement on those land parcels, you must make sure that:

• there is sufficient space in the parcel
• the same capital works are not being funded twice
• the actions required in your existing agreement and your new CS Capital Grants agreement are compatible

You can apply for a CS Capital Grants agreement on land parcels which are not in your CS Mid Tier or Higher Tier agreement as long as the new capital works do not conflict with your existing agreement.

Wildlife Offers and other CS capital grants

You may have a CS Capital Grants agreement alongside any of the following CS agreements:

• CS Higher Tier Capital Grants
• CS Protection and Infrastructure (all items)
• CS Woodland Tree Health
• CS Woodland Management Plan
• CS Wildlife Offer
• CS Capital Grants

You can apply for a CS Capital Grants agreement on the same land parcels as your existing CS capital or Wildlife Offer agreement if:

• there is sufficient space in the parcel
• the same capital works are not being funded twice
• the actions required in your existing capital agreement and your new CS Capital Grants agreement are compatible

You can apply for a CS Capital Grants agreement on land parcels which are not in your existing CS capital or Wildlife Offer agreement as long as the new capital works do not conflict with your existing agreement.

You can only apply for one CS Capital Grants agreement per SBI in any calendar year

3.4.4 Environmental Land Management schemes

Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) pilot

You can apply for this CS Capital Grants offer on land parcels included in an SFI pilot standards agreement.

If you want to enter into a CS Capital Grants agreement in addition to your SFI pilot standards agreement, you can have these on the same parcel or on separate parcels, as long as the actions are compatible with each other.

Sustainable Farming Incentive

The SFI standards do not currently include one-off payments for capital items. You can apply for existing one-off payments for capital items, such as Countryside Stewardship capital grants, on land you enter into an SFI standards agreement. If you want to enter into a CS Capital Grants agreement in addition to your SFI standards agreement, you can have these on the same parcel, or on separate parcels, as long as the actions are compatible with each other.

Local Nature Recovery

We will develop an enhanced version of Countryside Stewardship for future years, so we achieve the same ambitious outcomes that we intended to deliver through Local Nature Recovery, rather than building a whole new scheme. We will publish more information about the scheme, including how CS agreement holders can take part, later this year.

Landscape Recovery

Customers with a CS Capital Grants offer can also apply for a Landscape Recovery agreement. Defra will work with Landscape Recovery applicants during the project development phase on how to transition CS agreement holders fully into Landscape Recovery and avoid double funding.

3.4.5 English Woodland Schemes

You can apply for CS items on land parcels covered by an EWGS Management Planning Grant and certain capital grants (for example, Woodland Improvement Grant (WIG) as long as this does not result in you being paid twice for the same items or activities and the CS items do not conflict with any ongoing EWGS requirements.

You cannot apply for CS items on land parcels covered by a multi-annual EWGS agreement, England Woodland Creation Offer (EWCO), Farm Woodland Payment (FWP), Farm Woodland Premium Scheme (FWPS) or Farm Woodland Scheme (FWS).

3.4.6 Farming Recovery Fund

Land parcels covered by the Farming Recovery Fund are not eligible.

3.4.7 Inheritance Tax or Capital Gains Tax exemption

CS options and capital items may be available on land designated by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) as conditionally exempt from Inheritance Tax or as the object of a Maintenance Fund, depending on the specific undertakings and proposed options or capital items.

Read Inheritance Tax and Capital Gains Tax exemption: Countryside Stewardship to find out whether capital items available under the CS Capital Grants are always eligible, never eligible or need checking.

3.4.8 Other schemes or grants

CS cannot fund works that form part of these, or similar schemes or grants including:

• Countryside Productivity
• Growth Programme
• LEADER
• Water Environment Grant
• Farming in Protected Landscapes
• Farming Investment Fund
• Woodland Carbon Fund
• HS2 Woodland Fund
• England Woodland Creation Offer

4. How to apply for Capital Grants

This section gives the information you need to apply for CS Capital Grants.

4.1 Check you’re registered

Before you apply for a grant you must register on the Rural Payments service, if you have not done so already.

For land parcels to be included they must be registered on the Rural Payments service before you submit your application. If you need new land parcel numbers, fill in an RLE1 form and send to us with sketch maps.

4.1.1 Authorise an agent

You can authorise an agent to fill in and submit your application for you. This also applies to payment claim forms for Agreement Holders.

For an agent to act for you, you must give them the appropriate permission levels in the Rural Payments service on GOV.UK. This applies even if you have previously authorised the agent using the paper agent authorisation form.

Read ‘Give someone else permission to act on your behalf ’ on GOV.UK for more information on the different levels of permission. You should also read the information in the Permission levels screen in the Rural Payments service. This lists what is permitted at each level. You are responsible for ensuring that permissions assigned on the Rural Payments service are made correctly and that contact details are all correct.

4.2 Ways to apply

You should submit your application online if you can. If you are unable to apply online, you can apply by email or by post.

4.2.1 Apply online

You can apply online using the Rural Payments service. Use the how to complete your online Capital Grant application to help you.

If you apply online, you do not need to fill in a CS Capital Grants application form. However, you must send us a map and any supporting documents by email or post.

4.2.2 Apply by email or post

If you cannot apply online, you can fill in a CS Capital Grants application form and email or post it to us. Use the how to complete your Capital Grant application by email or post to help you.

If you email us your form, make sure that you have the appropriate permission levels and that the email address for your business is registered in the Rural Payments service.

4.3 Prepare a map to accompany your application

You must submit a map or maps in support of your application.

Use the how to complete your Capital Grant application by email or post to help prepare your map.

4.4 Business viability test

We will check all applicants against an insolvency register. If we assess your application as not financially viable, we may not offer you an agreement.

For applications including capital expenditure of more than £50,000 in total, you must submit a statement from a registered accountant (for example, a chartered accountant or certified accountant) with your application’s supporting documents. This is to confirm that the business or SBI has the resources from trading profits, reserves or loans to undertake the work in the proposed agreement schedule.

Where confirmation from an accountant is needed, the accountant will need to provide a letter on headed paper which confirms at least the following:

• they are a registered accountant
• they act as the accountant for the applicant or have been contracted to act on behalf of the applicant
• they can confirm that you as the applicant have sufficient finances to complete the capital works in your application and how these funds will be sourced (for example, savings or loan)
• their understanding of the total value of the capital works in the application- applications involving capital expenditure over certain limits will require additional evidence and undergo additional checks, read 4.5.1 for more information

4.5 Get consent

You must check each capital item you are applying for to see if any consents are needed.

You are responsible for arranging all relevant consents, permissions, exemptions and written advice needed for your application. You will not be paid for any work undertaken without all the necessary consents and permissions being in place before you begin any work.

In some cases, you will not be offered an agreement if these are not in place.

4.5.1 Planning consent

Your local planning authority can give you informal advice on whether a proposal needs planning consent. There is also general guidance on planning permission for farms available.

You do not need to provide evidence of whether planning permission or consent is needed with your application. However, if required, you will need to have permission or consent in place before you carry out any work.

4.5.2 CSF approval

Capital items which require CSF approval are now available in High, Medium and Low Priority Areas for Water and Air Quality and reduce flood risk. You can find CS Priority Areas for Water by referring to Magic Maps on GOV.UK.

If you are intending to apply for certain water quality, air quality and natural flood management capital items you must contact CSF at least 10 weeks before you intend to submit your application, or your request will not be considered.

Complete the CSF Support Request Form and send it to CSF. You can find CSF contact details on GOV.UK. CSF will only assess a request for approval if the form is fully completed.

There is further information on the items that require CSF approval in Annex 2 – choose capital items to help improve water and air quality and reduce flood risk.

4.5.3 Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) (including National Nature Reserves)

One-to-one technical advice for CS Capital Grant agreements is not available from Natural England, except for any land in a SSSI which is contained in the application. Work on land in a SSSI will need consent and you should contact Natural England as early as possible when you are getting your application ready. For further information on SSSI consents go to Give notice and get consent for a planned activity on a SSSI on GOV.UK.

4.5.4 Other consents

You may need to apply for other consents or licences even if you do not need planning consent. Examples of areas where a consent or licence is likely to be needed includes where the work affects:

• protected species (as defined by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981)
• registered parkland
• a registered battlefield
• a watercourse or highway
• areas subject to a Tree Preservation Order (TPO), a licence may be needed for any changes to trees and hedges

4.5.5 Work on trees and hedges

You may need permission for work on trees that are under a TPO. If this applies to you, contact your Local Authority or National Park Authority. Read more information on Tree Preservation Orders and trees in conservation areas on GOV.UK.

You may need a Forestry Commission tree felling licence to remove trees or manage hedges. This applies whether they are in woodland or not.

You can fell up to 5m³ and sell up to 2m³ of timber without a felling licence each calendar quarter. If you plan to fell or sell more, you must get a felling licence before your agreement offer can be issued. Read more information about tree felling licences on GOV.UK.

You do not need to provide evidence of any TPO permission or a felling licence with your application. If required, you will need to have the consent before you carry out any work. You will need to submit this when you make a claim for this work.

4.5.6 Other considerations

When you carry out work under the agreement, you must not breach any other rules or laws, such as:

• breaking domestic legislation or byelaws
• obstructing public rights of way
• blocking or restricting access to ‘open access’ land
• affecting oil or gas pipelines

4.6 Submit your application and supporting documents

Submit your application by:

• following the online application process
• filling in an application form and sending it to us by email or post

You also need to send us:

• the application map
• a CS land ownership and control form, if applicable
• any other supporting documents we ask for as detailed on the Countryside Stewardship online grant finder

Use the how to complete your online Capital Grant application or how to complete your Capital Grant application by email or post guidance to help you submit your application.

We’ll only accept supporting documents, such as photos or forms, if they are either printed and sent by post or scanned and attached to an email. The maximum email size that we can accept is 32MB. For security reasons, we cannot accept discs, USB pen drives or other external storage media.

If required, you will need to have permission or consent in place before you carry out any work. You will need to submit this evidence when you make a claim for this work.

4.7 After you apply

Once we receive your application, we will check it to confirm that:

• it meets the eligibility requirements
• you have filled in all the necessary details on the application form
• you have completed the map

If you are successful, we will write to you to make you an agreement offer.

If you want to accept the agreement offer you must sign and return the declaration by post within 20 working days. If you do not accept your offer in time, it will be withdrawn.

You can withdraw an application at any point after submission, prior to an agreement offer being made. Once an agreement offer has been made, you cannot withdraw your application, but you can reject your agreement offer.

You can find more information about entering into an agreement in section 6.1 of the agreement holder’s guide.

If your application is unsuccessful, we will let you know why we rejected it. You will then have the right to appeal to us, as set out in section 7.7 of the agreement holder’s guide.

5. Choosing capital items

A description and brief requirements for the capital items under the CS Capital Grants are provided in this section.

More detailed information on (and the specific requirements for) these items are available on the Countryside Stewardship online grant finder.

You can select multiple items from the 4 different groups. There is no limit on the maximum grant available, however your application will be assessed to ensure value for money.

5.1 Boundaries, trees and orchards items

Code	Item	Payment rate	Supplement?	CSF approval required?
BN1	Stone-faced bank repair	£67.25 per metre (/m)	N/A	No
BN2	Stone-faced bank restoration	£163.26/m	N/A	No
BN3	Earth bank creation	£20.59/m	N/A	No
BN4	Earth bank restoration	£10.54/m	N/A	No
BN5	Hedgerow laying	£13.52/m	N/A	No
BN6	Hedgerow coppicing	£ 5.33/m	N/A	No
BN7	Hedgerow gapping-up	£17.22/m	N/A	No
BN8	Hedgerow supplement - casting up	£4.39/m	Yes, only use with BN5 and BN6	No
BN10	Hedgerow supplement - top binding and staking	£5.82/m	Yes, only use with BN5	No
BN11	Planting new hedges	£22.97/m	N/A	No
BN12	Stone wall restoration	£31.91/m	N/A	No
BN13	Top wiring - stone wall	£5.54/m	Yes, only use with BN12	No
BN14	Stone wall supplement - stone from quarry	£ 164.50/m	Yes, only use with BN12	No
FG12	Wooden field gate	£489.90/gate	N/A	No
FG14	Badger gate	£61.81/gate	N/A	No
TE1	Planting standard hedgerow tree	£19.06/tree	N/A	No
TE10	Coppicing bankside trees	£53.95/tree	N/A	No
TE11	Tree surgery	£73.36/tree when cutting limbs up to and including 20cm diameter, £146.72/tree when cutting limbs over 20cm diameter	N/A	No
WB1	Small wildlife box	£11.95/box	N/A	No
WB2	Medium wildlife box	£27.91/box	N/A	No
WB3	Large wildlife box	£38.28/box	N/A	No

You can only apply for a supplement with its associated capital item, as follows:

• BN8 – can only be used on BN5 and BN6
• BN10 – can only be used with BN5
• BN13 – can only be used with BN12
• BN14 – can only be used with BN12
• both BN13 and BN14 can be used with BN12

5.2 Water quality items

Code	Item	Payment rate	Supplement?	CSF approval required?
FG1	Fencing	£6.34 per metre (/m)	N/A	No
FG2	Sheep netting	£7.47/m	N/A	No
FG3	Permanent electric fencing	£5.66/m	N/A	No
FG4	Rabbit fencing supplement	£5.65/m	Yes (only use with FG1, FG2, FG3)	No
FG15	Water gates	£532.80/gate	N/A	No
LV3	Hard bases for livestock drinkers	£179.15/base	N/A	No
LV4	Hard bases for livestock feeders	£290.63/base	N/A	No
LV5	Pasture pumps and associated pipework	£295.90/pump	N/A	No
LV6	Ram pumps and associated pipework	£1,861/pump	N/A	No
LV7	Livestock troughs	£152.92/trough	N/A	No
LV8	Pipework associated with livestock troughs	£3.31/m	N/A	No
RP1	Resurfacing of gateways	£136.95/gateway	N/A	No
RP2	Gateway relocation	£369.59/gateway	N/A	No
RP3	Watercourse crossings	£105.63/crossing	N/A	No
RP4	Livestock and machinery hardcore tracks	£44.63/m	N/A	Yes
RP5	Cross drains	£750.26/drain	N/A	No
RP6	Installation of piped culverts in ditches	£376.23/culvert	N/A	No
RP7	Sediment ponds and traps	£11.88/m2	N/A	No
RP9	Earth banks and soil bunds	£195.61/unit	N/A	No
RP10	Silt filtration dams or seepage barriers	£198.14/unit	N/A	Yes
RP11	Swales	£7.52/m2	N/A	No
RP12	Check dams	£85.29 for each dam	N/A	No
RP13	Yard - underground drainage pipework	£2.02/m	N/A	Yes
RP14	Yard inspection pit	£200/unit	N/A	Yes
RP15	Concrete Yard Renewal	£33.64/m2	N/A	Yes
RP16	Rainwater goods	£11.55/m	N/A	No
RP17	Storage tanks underground	£441.98/m3	N/A	Yes
RP18	Above ground tanks	£73.34/m3	N/A	Yes
RP19	First flush rainwater diverters and downpipe filters	£174.59/unit	N/A	Yes
RP20	Relocation of sheep dips and pens	£3,544.71/unit	N/A	Yes
RP21	Relocation of sheep pens only	£1,772.35/unit	N/A	Yes
RP22	Sheep dip drainage aprons and sumps	£19.50/m2	N/A	Yes
RP23	Installation of livestock drinking troughs (in draining pens for freshly dipped sheep)	£152.92/unit	N/A	Yes
RP24	Lined biobed plus pesticide loading and washdown area	£119.77/m2	N/A	Yes
RP25	Lined biobed with existing washdown area	£66.24/m2	N/A	Yes
RP26	Biofilters	£2,026.14/unit	N/A	No
RP27	Sprayer or applicator load and washdown area	£35.86/m2	N/A	Yes
RP28	Roofing (sprayer washdown area, manure storage area, livestock gathering area, slurry stores, silage stores)	£72.50/m2	N/A	Yes
RP29	Self-supporting covers for slurry and anaerobic digestate stores	£29.50/m2	N/A	Yes
RP30	Floating covers for slurry and anaerobic digestate stores and lagoons	£2.75/m2	N/A	Yes
WN5	Pond management (100 square metres or less)	£282.15/pond	N/A	No
WN6	Pond management (more than 100 square metres)	£188.94/100m2	N/A	No

5.3 Air quality items

Code	Items	Payment rate	Supplement?	CSF approval required?
AQ1	Automatic slurry scraper	£2,760 per passageway/channel	N/A	Yes
AQ2	Low ammonia emission flooring for livestock buildings	£72/m2	N/A	Yes
TE4	Supply and plant a tree	£1.72/tree	N/A	Yes
TE5	Supplement for use of individual tree-shelters	£2.43/unit	Yes, only use with TE4	Yes

5.4 Natural flood management items

Code	Items	Payment rate	Supplement?	CSF approval required?
RP31	Equipment to disrupt tramlines in arable areas	£1,500 per machine	N/A	Yes
RP32	Small leaky woody dams	£461.39 for each dam	N/A	Yes
RP33	Large leaky woody dams	£764.42 for each dam	N/A	Yes

For further information on water and air quality and natural flood management items that require CSF approval, go to annex 2.

For parcels to be included they must be registered on the Rural Payments service. If you need to register new land parcels, fill in an RLE1 form and send to us with sketch maps.

RP32 Small leaky woody dams and RP33 Large leaky woody dams

For further information on Natural flood management items RP32 Small leaky woody dams and RP33 Large leaky woody dams, go to the Countryside Stewardship online grant finder.

RP32: Small leaky wooden dam. Indicative design for 1 to 3 metres wide, leaky woody dam.

RP33: Large leaky wooden dam. Indicative design for 3 to 5 metres wide, leaky woody dam.

Annex 1: Terms and Conditions

See the CS Terms and Conditions 2023.

Annex 2: Choose capital items to help improve water and air quality, and reduce flood risk

Choosing the right capital items can help reduce the amount of water pollutant and ammonia released from your farm and will also help to reduce flood risk.

Table 2 lists the capital items to help you with this.

How to choose capital items

1. Use the statements of priorities to find the water and air objectives for your local area. If your application meets these objectives, you’ll get a higher score.

2. Use Countryside Stewardship grants (known as the ‘grant finder’) to help you identify the types of capital items you can use to address water and air priorities in the local area.

3. Use the MAGIC map application to find water, and air priority information for your land. In the Table of Contents, choose ‘Countryside Stewardship Targeting & Scoring Layers’, then ‘Water’, and then ‘Countryside Stewardship Priority Areas’. You can then make this layer transparent by using the slider under ‘Countryside Stewardship Targeting & Scoring Layers’. You will need to navigate to your land and then use the ‘Identify’ tool in the top toolbar to check the information specific to your land parcels.

When to contact CSF

Some capital items are only available with the support and approval from CSF. If you do not get approval, RPA will remove them from your application. These items are listed in table 1.

You will need to:

• show how pollutants are reaching a watercourse or underground aquifer
• show where ammonia emissions are coming from
• demonstrate how the proposed activity will prevent air or water pollution and how it helps to reduce flood risk while also including a suitable range of capital items

CSF will focus support and approval at farms where the largest improvements in water and air quality and reduction in flood risk are likely to be achieved. The effects of a water pollutant, flood risk or ammonia on a sensitive protected site will be considered as part of this.

In some cases, work may be needed over a number of years, which means you may need to submit a number of applications. You will need to agree with CSF how this work is phased.

You may also need to think about other areas of the farm to make sure that you are dealing with the pollutant(s). For example, if your work is aimed at reducing sediment, you may need to think about reducing run off from fields. You may be able to do this by getting advice from CSF rather than using CS options, or both.

Table 1: Items requiring CSF approval

Item code	Description
RP4	Livestock and machinery hardcore tracks
RP13	Yard – underground drainage pipework
RP14	Yard inspection pit
RP15	Concrete Yard Renewal
RP17	Storage tanks underground
RP18	Above ground tanks
RP19	First flush rainwater diverters and downpipe filters
RP20	Relocation of sheep dips and pens
RP21	Relocation of sheep pens only
RP22	Sheep dip drainage aprons and sumps
RP23	Installation of livestock drinking troughs (in draining pens for freshly dipped sheep)
RP24	Lined biobed plus pesticide loading and washdown area
RP25	Lined biobed with existing washdown area
RP27	Sprayer or applicator load and washdown area
RP28	Roofing (sprayer washdown area, manure storage area, livestock gathering area, slurry stores, silage stores)
RP29	Self-supporting covers for slurry and anaerobic digestate stores
RP30	Floating covers for slurry and anaerobic digestate stores and lagoons
AQ1	Automatic slurry scraper
AQ2	Low ammonia emission flooring for livestock buildings
TE4	Supply and plant a tree
TE5	Supplement for use of individual tree-shelters
RP31	Equipment to disrupt tramlines in arable areas
RP32	Small leaky woody dams
RP33	Large leaky woody dams

Table 2: Capital items that address pollutant pressures affecting water and air quality and for flood and coastal risk

Use the scrollbar at the end of the table to move across.

Item	Code	Faecal Indicator Organisms – Bathing waters	Ground water priority areas - Nitrate	Ground water priority areas - Pesticides	Surface Water Pesticides	Surface water - Nitrate	Surface water (Phosphate + Sediment)	Flood and Coastal Risk Management and Physical Modification	Air Quality (ammonia)
Automatic slurry scraper	AQ1								X
Low ammonia emission flooring for livestock buildings	AQ2								X
Hedgerow gapping-up	BN7						X	X	X
Planting new hedges	BN11						X	X	X
Planting standard hedgerow tree	TE1	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X
Supply and plant a tree	TE4	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X
Supplement for use of individual tree-shelters	TE5	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X
Livestock and machinery hardcore tracks	RP4	X					X	X
Livestock troughs	LV7	X					X	X
Above ground tanks	RP18	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X
Bio filters	RP26			X	X
Check dams	RP12	X			X		X	X
Concrete yard renewal	RP15	X	X	X	X		X		X
Cross drains	RP5	X					X	X
Earth banks and soil bunds	RP9	X			X		X	X
Fencing	FG1	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X
Sheep netting	FG2	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X
Rabbit fencing supplement	FG4	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X
Wooden field gate	FG12	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X
First flush rainwater diverters or downpipe filters	RP19	X	X	X	X	X	X	X
Floating covers for slurry and anaerobic digestate stores and lagoons	RP30	X	X			X	X		X
Gateway relocation	RP2	X					X	X
Hard bases for livestock drinkers	LV3	X					X	X
Hard bases for livestock feeders	LV4	X					X	X
Installation of livestock drinking troughs (in draining pens for freshly dipped sheep)	RP23			X	X
Installation of piped culverts in ditches	RP6	X					X
Lined bio bed plus pesticide loading and wash down area	RP24			X	X
Lined bio bed with existing wash down area	RP25			X	X
Pasture pumps and associated pipework	LV5	X					X
Permanent electric fencing	FG3	X				X	X
Pipework associated with livestock troughs	LV8	X					X
Rainwater goods	RP16	X	X	X	X	X	X	X
Ram pumps and associated pipework	LV6	X					X	X
Relocation of sheep dips and pens	RP20			X	X
Relocation of sheep pens only	RP21			X	X
Resurfacing of gateways	RP1						X
Roofing (sprayer wash down area, manure storage area, livestock gathering area, slurry stores, silage stores)	RP28	X	X	X	X	X	X	X
Sediment ponds and traps	RP7	X			X		X	X
Self-supporting covers for slurry and anaerobic digestate stores	RP29	X	X			X	X		X
Sheep dip drainage aprons and sumps	RP22			X	X
Silt filtration dams or seepage barriers	RP10	X			X		X	X
Sprayer or applicator load and wash down area	RP27			X	X
Storage tanks underground	RP17	X	X			X	X	X	X
Swales	RP11	X			X		X	X
Water gates	FG15	X	X	X	X	X	X	X
Watercourse crossings	RP3	X					X
Yard - underground drainage pipework	RP13	X	X	X	X	X	X
Yard Inspection pit	RP14	X	X	X	X	X	X
Equipment to disrupt tramlines in arable areas	RP31		X			X	X	X
Small leaky woody dams	RP32							X
Large leaky woody dams	RP33							X

Annex 3: Contact details

Contact Rural Payments Agency (RPA)

You can contact RPA by email, phone or post.

Rural Payments Agency (CS)
PO Box 324
Worksop
S95 1DF

Email: ruralpayments@defra.gov.uk

Telephone: 03000 200 301
Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5pm, except bank holidays
Find out about call charges

For Higher Tier only: To request pre-populated applications forms:

• use the Rural Payments service
• email or call us

Please quote your single business identifier (SBI) and agreement number in all enquiries.

Contact Natural England

You can contact Natural England by email, phone or post.

Natural England
County Hall
Spetchley Road
Worcester
WR5 2NP

Email: enquiries@naturalengland.org.uk

Telephone: 0300 060 3900
March to September: Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm, except bank holidays
October to February: Monday to Friday, 10am to 3pm, except bank holidays
Find out about call charges

Contact other organisations

You may also need to:

• contact the Forestry Commission

• contact Historic England

• contact Catchment Sensitive Farming (CSF)