Guidance

Annex 3 Scoring Higher Tier Applications

Published 29 June 2023

Applies to England

All eligible initial applications for Higher Tier are scored, apart from where they only include organic management and conversion options.

1. Agri-environment only

We score these applications, as shown in Tables 1 to 3 below, and then rank them by score. A national threshold is set based on the budget that is available. If your application scores above this threshold, a Natural England adviser will offer support to help you develop a final application. At Defra’s discretion, Natural England may be able to offer support to develop some applications that score below the national threshold.

We give a score only for features that need management that is only available in Higher Tier. You can include features suited to Mid Tier management in your Higher Tier application, but they will not contribute to your score.

If we reject your application following Higher Tier scoring, Mid Tier may be more suitable for your holding.

Organic management and conversion options are not scored. If your application contains these options and you meet the eligibility requirements, we will offer you an agreement. If your Higher Tier application fails the overall scoring process, you will be given the option to continue with an agreement that contains just the organic management and conversion options.

2. Woodland only

If you are applying for Higher Tier woodland improvement (WD2 or capital items), you will need to score your initial application yourself. Follow the guidance in Annex 5 and in ‘How to complete the Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier application form’ that is included with your application pack. The Forestry Commission ranks the applications by score and a national threshold is set. If your application scores above this threshold, a Forestry Commission adviser will offer support to help you develop a final application. The adviser will confirm the final score for your application for woodland improvement while working with you.

Once the deadline for submitting final applications has passed, applications will be ranked by their agreed scores and a threshold set. If your application scores above this threshold, we will offer you an agreement.

3. Mixed

Natural England and/or the Forestry Commission use a combination of the methods detailed above to score an initial application that contains both agri-environment and woodland parts. If the agri-environment part of your mixed application is rejected, you might be able to continue with a woodland only application or the Mid Tier may be more suitable for your holding. If the woodland part is rejected you may be able to continue with an agri-environment only application.

4. Table 1: Higher Tier scoring process for agri-environment only and mixed initial applications

4.1 Step 1 – Basic score for land-based features

This is for Priority Habitats, Water Quality and Historic Environment features/issues. To receive a score they must be included in the initial application and require management only available under Higher Tier. Most Priority Habitats also have a minimum area requirement below which they are not scored – see Table 2.

Criteria:

• Each of these features on the holding has a priority level of High, Medium or Low. These are taken at the Rural Payments service land parcel level. They are as described in local priority statements and targeting maps and in Table 2. Each priority level has an associated Baseline Priority Score.

• Historic Environment features simply score their Baseline Priority Score for each parcel (field) offered supporting that feature.

• Each Priority Habitat feature or Water Quality issue has its own ‘Value per unit’ to consider in addition to the Baseline Priority Score. These values are based on the priority level, location and comparative rarity of each feature. These are shown in Table 2 and in most cases the units are hectares. For each of these features/issues, the score is calculated as:

Baseline Priority Score + (number of units x value per unit).

• Where multiple features/issues appear in a parcel, that parcel can score for each feature/issue.

The sum of all these scores provides the Basic Score for land–based features. Where Priority Habitats occur on SSSIs an additional score will be applied (see Additional Scores below).

Scoring Process

Priority Level	Baseline Priority Score
High	1,000
Medium	100
Low	10

Example 1: Priority Habitat

Four hectares of lowland heathland Priority Habitat.

Lowland heathland is a High priority so its Baseline Priority Score is 1000 points.

Its Value per unit is 100 points per hectare.

The score is calculated as: 1000 + (4 x100) = 1,400 points.

Example 2: Historic Environment (HE)

One High Priority HE feature across 2 parcels and 3 Medium Priority HE features on 3 parcels.

The score is calculated as: (2 x 1,000) + (3 x 100) = 2,300 points.

4.2 Step 2 – Species score

This is for the:

• WPFWP Section 41 (S41) Species requiring bespoke management (as defined in the NERC Act)
• Woodland Bird assemblage and Breeding Wader assemblage (as referred to in the statement of priorities).

To receive a score they must be included in the initial application. These features have minimum area requirements, below which they are not scored – see Table 3.

Criteria

These are scored in the same way as Priority Habitats in Step 1:

Baseline Priority Score + (value per unit x the number of units).

Except that if the area has already been scored for biodiversity, the Baseline Priority Score alone is counted.

Check the information in Table 3 for the priority levels and value per hectare scores for these features. They are all High Priority features so the Baseline Priority Score is 1,000 points for all of them.

For the Wild Pollinator and Farm Wildlife Package (WPFWP) the Value per unit is 30 points per unit. The unit to be scored is the area, in hectares, of the arable, temporary grass and permanent grassland parcels to be included, excluding any areas of Priority Habitat grassland.

For S41 species requiring bespoke management, Woodland Bird assemblage and Breeding Wader assemblage the value per unit is 100 points per unit. The unit to be scored is the area in hectares being managed for the species or assemblage.

Three species in the Breeding Wader assemblage are also S41 species requiring bespoke management. These species score as above as an S41 species and additionally receive the Baseline Priority Score (1,000 points) for the assemblage.

The sum of the individual species category scores provides a Species Score.

Scoring Process

Species category	Species Score Calculation
WPFWP	Baseline Priority Score + (value per unit x units)
S41 or Woodland Bird assemblages or Breeding Waders on Priority Habitat	Baseline Priority Score
S41 or Woodland assemblage Birds or Breeding Waders on non-Priority Habitat	Baseline Priority Score + (value per unit x units)
S41 and Breeding Waders	Baseline Priority Score + S41 score

Species Score = sum of Species category scores

Example 1: WPFWP

Farmed land (50 hectares) proposed for the WPFWP in a target area. Baseline priority score (high) = 1000 points. Value per unit = 30 points per hectare Score = 1000 + (30 x 50) = 2,500 points.

Example 2: Curlew (an S41 species)

Rough grazing land (20 hectares) proposed for management to benefit Curlew.

Curlew is an S41 species requiring bespoke management and is in the Breeding Wader Assemblage.

S41 species Baseline priority score = 1,000 points.

S41 species Value per unit = 100 points per hectare.

S41 score = 1000 + (100 x 20) = 3,000 points.

The score for the Wader Assemblage is only the Baseline priority score (1,000 points) because the area has already been scored for S41 species.

4.3 Step 3 – Calculate the Total Basic Score

The Total Basic Score is calculated by adding together the Basic score for land based features and the Species Score.

Total Basic Score = Basic score for land based features + Species Score.

4.4 Step 4 – Calculate the Additional Score

SSSI: Applicant has included SSSI features:

Add 10% of Total Basic Score, but only for the SSSI area

Genetic conservation:

• Applicant has included priority habitats where native
• Breeds at risk are appropriate and have been proposed.

Add 5% to the Total Basic Score.

Educational access proposed.

Add 5% to the Total Basic Score.

Facilitation fund: Applicant confirmed as being part of a Facilitation Fund group.

Add 5% to the Total Basic Score.

4.5 Step 5 – Calculate the Final Score

The Final Score is calculated by adding the Total Basic Score and any Additional Scores.

Where no Higher Tier features are proposed the application will be ineligible and a score of 0 will be applied.

Final Score = Total Basic Score + any Additional Scores

4.6 Step 6 – Ranking of all initial applications

If resource limitations require a threshold to be set, the final score is used to rank all the initial applications in the ‘pipeline’ for Higher Tier agreements.

4.7 Step 7 – Final applications

These are scored in the same way as the initial application.

If there is an issue resourcing the final agreements the scores between the final application and initial application are compared to confirm the offer remains the same.

4.8 Step 8 – Ranking of all applications

If resources are available all eligible final applications will be taken forward.

5. Table 2: Value scores for habitats, water quality and historic environment

Priority habitats

Habitat	Option Type	Minimum Area	Priority Level	Value/Ha score
Lowland calcareous grassland	Management/ restoration	0.5ha	High	100
Lowland calcareous grassland	Creation	0.5ha	High	90
Lowland dry acid grassland	Management/ restoration	0.5ha	High	100
Lowland dry acid grassland	Creation	0.5ha	High	90
Purple moor-grass and rush pasture	Management/ restoration	0.5ha	High	100
Purple moor-grass and rush pasture	Creation	0.5ha	High	90
Lowland meadows	Management/ restoration	0.5ha	High	200
Lowland meadows	Creation	0.5ha	High	180
Upland hay meadows	Management/ restoration	0.5ha	High	200
Upland hay meadows	Creation	0.5ha	High	180
Calaminarian grassland	Management/ restoration	0.5ha	High	200
Calaminarian grassland	Creation	0.5ha	High	180
Upland calcareous grassland	Management/ restoration	2 ha	High	100
Upland calcareous grassland	Creation	2ha	High	90
Lowland heath	Management/ restoration	2ha	High	100
Lowland heath	Creation	2ha	High	90
Upland heath (heather moorland)	Management/ restoration (no creation option)	5ha	High	10
Blanket bog	Management/ restoration (no creation option)	part of upland heath	High	67
Mountain heath and willow scrub	Management/ restoration (no creation option)	part of upland heath	High	100
Inland rock outcrop and scree	N/A - Inland rock and scree does not score separately, but it is scored - as part of the upland heath/heather moorland mosaic	-	N/A	N/A
Limestone pavement	Management/ restoration (no creation option)	2ha	High	100
Upland flushes, fens and swamps	Management/ restoration (no creation option)	0.5ha	High	100
Lowland fens	Management/ restoration	0.5ha	High	100
Lowland fens	Creation	0.5ha	High	90
Reedbeds	Management/ restoration	2ha	High	100
Reedbeds	Creation	Creation	High	90
Lowland raised bogs	Management/ restoration (no creation option)	Management/ restoration (no creation option)	High	200
Coastal and floodplain grazing marsh where part of a wetland complex identified in the Breeding Wader Strategy as an important focus area and either currently supports, or is capable of supporting, breeding waders; or on individual sites which support breeding wader assemblages and where water level management is part of proposal; or on areas with networks of ditches of high nature conservation value	Management/ restoration	Management/ restoration	High	67
Coastal and floodplain grazing marsh (as above)	Creation	5ha	High	60
Maritime cliff and slope	Managed as grassland or heathland	250m	High	4 per metre (length of cliff not height)
Coastal saltmarsh	Management/ restoration	5ha	High	67
Coastal saltmarsh	Creation	5ha	High	60
Coastal sand dunes	Management/ restoration	5ha	High	67
Coastal sand dunes	Creation	5ha	High	60
Saline lagoons	No direct management options under the scheme		Would score as a scheme priority under water quality measures below, if applicable	N/A
Wood pasture and parkland	Management/ restoration	5ha	High	20
Wood pasture	Creation	5ha	High	18
Traditional orchards	Management/ restoration	2ha unless part of orchard network	High	500
Traditional orchards	Creation	2ha unless part of orchard network	High	450
Riparian habitats associated priority lakes and rivers	Management/ restoration	0.5ha	High	100
Riparian habitats associated priority lakes and rivers	Creation	0.5ha	High	90
Woodland - high priority	Management/ restoration	0.5ha	High	100
Woodland - medium priority	Management/ restoration	0.5ha	Medium	10
Woodland - low priority	Management/ restoration	0.5ha	Medium	1

6. Water quality

Water Quality and Flood Risk management	Minimum Area	Priority Level	Value/ha Score
Nitrogen	none defined	High	50
Phosphorous	none defined	High	50
Sediment	none defined	High	50
Faecal coliforms	none defined	High	50
Pesticides	none defined	High	50
Flood risk management	none defined	High	50
Nitrogen	none defined	Medium	5
Phosphorous	none defined	Medium	5
Sediment	none defined	Medium	5
Faecal coliforms	none defined	Medium	5
Pesticides	none defined	Medium	5
Flood risk management	none defined	Medium	5
Nitrogen	none defined	Low	0.5
Phosphorous	none defined	Low	0.5
Sediment	none defined	Low	0.5
Faecal coliforms	none defined	Low	0.5
Pesticides	none defined	Low	0.5
Flood risk management	none defined	Low	0.5
Unmanaged Conifer to meet UKFS within catchments subject to eutrophication and acidification to reduce pressure on the water environment	0.5ha	High	100

7. Historic environment

Historic Environment	Priority Level	Value per parcel Score
Heritage at risk - designated HE features that appear on the EH register as ‘High Risk’	High	1,000
Prioritised historic buildings - high priority for restoration	High	1,000
SHINE 4 high significance	High	1,000
National designations at medium and low risk - designated HE features that are currently rated as ‘medium’ or ‘low’ risk on the EH register.	High	1,000
SHINE medium and low significance	Medium	100
Designated and undesignated traditional farm buildings in need of maintenance	Medium	100
Priority undesignated historic parklands	Medium	100

8. Table 3: Value scores for biodiversity priorities

Biodiversity Priority	Minimum Area	Priority Level	Value/ha Score
Wild pollinator and farm wildlife package	5% of relevant land under WPFWP options	High	30
S. 41 species with bespoke management needs (The 100 points/ha area score and 0.5 hectares minimum threshold only apply to bespoke species occurring on non-Priority Habitats and outside WPFWP areas where we have sufficiently detailed data - in 2015 this was for birds and butterflies. Where bespoke species occur on Priority Habitat they will score the area score for that habitat and will need to meet the minimum threshold for that habitat, which may be different, as listed earlier in the annex.)	0.5ha	High	100
Woodland bird assemblage	0.5ha	High	No area score
Breeding wader assemblages (The 0.5 hectares minimum threshold only applies to breeding wader assemblages occurring on non-Priority Habitats. Where breeding wader assemblages occur on Priority Habitat they will need to meet the minimum threshold for that habitat, which may be different, as listed earlier in the annex.)	0.5ha	High	100/ha unless area already scored for PH, WPFWP or S. 41