Guidance

Annex 5: Actions to address water and air quality issues

Published 24 June 2021

Applies to England

List of options and capital items that improve water and air quality, either directly or indirectly.

The tables below show a list of options and capital items that improve water and air quality, either directly or indirectly. You can use these tables, along with the other information below, to identify the relevant options and capital items to address water and air quality priorities in your local area. Choosing the right options and capital items to reduce losses of key water pollutants and ammonia from your farm will help you to improve the quality of water and air on your farm, and in your local area.

To receive support and approval from a Catchment Sensitive Farming Officer (CSFO), the options and capital items you apply for must address the water or air pollutants identified as affecting that catchment or area. You will need to clearly show how the pollutants are currently reaching a watercourse or underground aquifer. In the case of air, you will need to identify where the ammonia emissions are coming from, and with both water and air you will need to show how the work you want to do will prevent these losses. CSFO support will be targeted at those farms where the largest improvements in water and air quality are likely to be achieved. The impact of a water pollutant or ammonia on a sensitive protected site will be considered as part of this.

You will need to show that you have included a suitable range of options and capital items to prevent the pollutant reaching a watercourse or the atmosphere, for example, rainwater goods and drainage to accompany yard concreting. 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 your CSFO how this work is phased.

You may also need to think about other areas of the farm to make sure that you are addressing the pollutant. 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 taking advice from a CSFO rather than, or as well as, using Countryside Stewardship options.

If you can show you meet these requirements and are able to offer clear improvements in water and air quality from using Countryside Stewardship water and air quality options and capital items, you should contact your local CSFO for support and approval. Make sure you contact your CSFO at least 6 weeks before you intend to submit your application otherwise there is no guarantee that your request will be considered.

1. Resources to help you choose the right option

• If you live in an area where improving water and air quality is a high priority, you can get advice from Catchment Sensitive Farming (CSF). This gives advice on the appropriate use of the options and items to address water and air pollution, based on local priorities and issues.
• You can find the water and air quality objectives for your local area in your local Statement of Priorities. If your application meets local water and air objectives you will receive a higher score.
• You can use the Countryside Stewardship on-line tool to help you identify the types of options and capital items that you can use to address water and air quality priorities in the local area. You can access the Countryside Stewardship Online Tool by logging on to your Rural Payments account.

You can use the MAGIC website to find water and air quality information for your land. On the list in the Table of Contents, choose ‘Countryside Stewardship Targeting & Scoring Layers’, then ‘Water, and then ‘Countryside Stewardship Water Quality 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 order to check the information specific to your land parcels.

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

Option	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)
Nectar Flower mix	AB1	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No
Beetle banks	AB3	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes
Enhanced overwinter stubble	AB6	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
Flower-rich margins and plots	AB8	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes
Unharvested cereal headland	AB10	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Cultivated areas for arable plants	AB11	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Two year sown legume fallow	AB15	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes
Automatic slurry scraper	AQ1	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes
Low ammonia emission flooring for livestock buildings	AQ2	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes
Two year sown legume fallow	B15	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	No
Hedgerow gapping-up	BN7	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Planting new hedges	BN11	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Take field corners out of management	GS1	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes
Permanent grassland with very low inputs (outside SDA)	GS2	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Legume and herb-rich swards	GS4	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Permanent grassland with very low inputs in SDAs	GS5	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	Yes
Management of species rich grassland	GS6	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Take historic and archaeological features currently on cultivated land out of cultivation	HS2	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	No	No
Organic conversion - improved permanent grassland	OR1	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
Organic conversion - unimproved permanent grassland	OR2	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
Organic conversion - rotational land	OR3	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
Organic conversion - horticulture	OR4	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
4- 6 m buffer strip on cultivated land	SW1	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes
Seasonal livestock removal on grassland in SDAs next to streams, rivers and lakes	SW10	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Riparian management strip	SW11	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Nil fertiliser supplement	SW14	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	No	Yes
4 - 6 m buffer strip on intensive grassland	SW2	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes
In-field grass strips	SW3	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
12-24m watercourse buffer strip on cultivated land	SW4	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Enhanced management of maize crops	SW5	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	No
Winter cover crops	SW6	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	No
Arable reversion to grassland with low fertiliser input	SW7	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Management of intensive grassland adjacent to a watercourse	SW8	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Seasonal livestock removal on intensive grassland	SW9	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Planting standard hedgerow tree	TE1	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Planting fruit trees	TE3	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Supply and plant a tree	TE4	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Supplement for use of individual tree-shelters	TE5	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Woodland edges on arable land	WD3	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Management of wood pasture and parkland	WD4	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Buffering in- field ponds and ditches in improved grassland	WT1	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Buffering in- field ponds and ditches in arable land	WT2	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Livestock and machinery hardcore tracks	RP4	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No
Livestock troughs	LV7	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No
Above ground tanks	RP18	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No
Bio filters	RP26	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
Check dams	RP12	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No
Concrete yard renewal	RP15	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes
Cross drains	RP5	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No
Earth banks and soil bunds	RP9	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No
Fencing	FG1	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Sheep netting	FG2	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Rabbit fencing supplement	FG4	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Wooden field gate	FG12	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
First flush rainwater diverters or downpipe filters	RP19	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No
Floating covers for slurry and anaerobic digestate stores and lagoons	RP30	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	No	Yes
Gateway relocation	RP2	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No
Hard bases for livestock drinkers	LV3	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No
Hard bases for livestock feeders	LV4	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No
Installation of livestock drinking troughs (in draining pens for freshly dipped sheep)	RP23	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
Installation of piped culverts in ditches	RP6	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No
Lined bio bed plus pesticide loading and wash down area	RP24	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
Lined bio bed with existing wash down area	RP25	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
Pasture pumps and associated pipework	LV5	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No
Permanent electric fencing	FG3	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
Pipework associated with livestock troughs	LV8	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No
Rainwater goods	RP16	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Ram pumps and associated pipework	LV6	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No
Relocation of sheep dips and pens	RP20	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
Relocation of sheep pens only	RP21	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
Resurfacing of gateways	RP1	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No
Roofing (sprayer wash down area, manure storage area, livestock gathering area, slurry stores, silage stores)	RP28	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Sediment ponds and traps	RP7	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No
Self- supporting covers for slurry and anaerobic digestate stores	RP29	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	No	Yes
Sheep dip drainage aprons and sumps	RP22	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
Silt filtration dams or seepage barriers	RP10	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No
Sprayer or applicator load and wash down area	RP27	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
Storage tanks underground	RP17	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	No
Swales	RP11	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No
Water gates	FG15	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Watercourse crossings	RP3	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No
Yard - underground drainage pipework	RP13	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Yard Inspection pit	RP14	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No

3. Options and capital items requiring Catchment Sensitive Farming Officer (CSFO) approval

Section 4.7.1 explains that you must have approval from a local CSFO to apply for certain options and capital items. These are listed in the table below. If you apply for these and do not have approval, we will remove them from your application. Your land must also be in a Countryside Stewardship High Priority Area for Water or Air Quality.

Option	Option title
SW7	Arable reversion to grassland with low fertiliser input
SW8	Management of intensive grassland adjacent to a watercourse
SW14	Nil fertiliser supplement
AQ1	Automatic slurry scraper
AQ2	Low ammonia emission flooring for livestock buildings
RP13	Yard - underground drainage pipework
RP14	Yard Inspection pit
RP15	Concrete yard renewal
RP17	Water storage tanks underground
RP18	Above ground water storage tanks
RP19	First flush rainwater diverters or downpipe filters
RP20	Relocation of sheep dips & pens
RP21	Relocation of sheep pens only
RP22	Sheep dip drainage aprons & sumps
RP23	Installation of livestock drinking troughs (in draining pens for freshly dipped sheep)
RP4	Livestock and machinery tracks
RP24	Lined bio bed + loading & wash down area
RP25	Lined bio bed with existing wash down area
RP27	Sprayer or applicator load & wash down area
RP28	Roofing for sprayer wash down areas, manure storage, livestock gathering areas, slurry and silage stores
RP29	Self-supporting covers for slurry and anaerobic digestate stores
RP30	Floating covers for slurry and anaerobic digestate stores and lagoons
TE4	Supply and plant a tree
TE5	Supplement for use of individual tree-shelters
AQ1	Automatic slurry scraper
AQ2	Low ammonia emission flooring for livestock buildings

You can find CSFO contact details and guidance on finding out whether your land is in a Countryside Stewardship High Priority Area for Water or Air on GOV.UK.

If your land is in a Countryside Stewardship High Priority Area for Water or Air and you would like support or approval, you must contact your local CSFO as early as possible. You will need to contact your local CSFO at least 6 weeks before you intend to submit your application to request help or a visit, with the following information:

• your name, address and postcode
• your CPH and SBI Numbers
• the capital items or options you are considering, which will benefit water or air quality
• water or air quality priorities on your farm
• basic farm details – for example size, enterprise (for example, dairy, arable, poultry)
• how the pollutant is currently reaching a watercourse, or in the case of air where the ammonia emissions are coming from, and how you intend to prevent this.