Guidance

Countryside Stewardship agreements: Terms and Conditions 2024

Published 3 January 2024

Applies to England

Parties

1. The Secretary of State for the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs of Seacole Building, 2 Marsham Street, London, SW1P 4DF, acting through the Rural Payments Agency, whose principal address is at North Gate House, 21-23 Valpy Street, Reading, RG1 1AF (the Authority). 2. The Agreement Holder identified in the Agreement Document (the Agreement Holder)

Background

(A) The Authority, which is the delivery body for the Countryside Stewardship scheme, has agreed to pay the Grant to the Agreement Holder in accordance with the terms and conditions set out below and in the Agreement Document.

(B) The Authority is responsible for managing Countryside Stewardship, the scheme under which the Grant is paid. The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has overall responsibility for the Countryside Stewardship scheme and may directly enforce any terms of the Agreement against the Agreement Holder in accordance with clause 28.2. Countryside Stewardship will be delivered in accordance with Chapter 1, of Part 1 of The Agriculture Act 2020 c.21.

(C) Grants made under Countryside Stewardship pay for Capital Items and/or Multi-Year Options (as defined below). Details of the individual Agreement Holder’s Capital Items and/ or Multi-Year Options are set out in the Agreement Document.

(D) These terms and conditions apply to grant agreements made under the Countryside Stewardship scheme and should be read in conjunction with the details of the Grant set out in the Agreement Document, which are individual to the Agreement Holder. These terms and conditions and the Agreement Document (including the supporting documents specified therein) together form the agreement between the Authority and the Agreement Holder (“the Agreement”).

(E) Additional Scheme requirements and more detailed information and guidance are set out in the Countryside Stewardship Manual and supplements available on www.gov.uk. The Agreement Holder must familiarise themselves with this document and ensure compliance with all mandatory elements of the relevant Countryside Stewardship Manual and supplements as a condition of receiving the Grant.

(F) In the event of any conflict between these terms and conditions and the documents referred to in paragraphs (D) and (E) above, these terms and conditions shall prevail, followed by the Agreement Document, the supporting documents referred to in the Agreement Document, and then the Countryside Stewardship Manual.

1. Definitions and interpretation

Definition	Interpretation
2020 Act:	Agriculture Act 2020 c.21 as amended from time to time
Agreement:	has the meaning given to it in paragraph (D) of the Background to these terms and conditions
Agreement Document:	the document accompanying these terms and conditions, which describes the Grant to be paid to the Agreement Holder and the Capital Items and/or Multi-Year Options to be undertaken.
Agreement End Date:	the date on which the Agreement comes to an end, as set out in the Agreement Document.
Agreement Land:	the land parcels described in the Agreement Document and identified on the Agreement Map(s), and any land parcels where rotational options are active in a particular year.
Agreement Map(s):	the map(s) accompanying the Agreement Document (or otherwise provided to the Agreement Holder by the Authority), showing the Agreement Land and the agreed location of any Multi-Year Options or Capital Items.
Agreement Start Date:	the date on which the Agreement commences, as set out in the Agreement Document.
Authority:	has the meaning given to it in paragraph (1) of the Parties to these terms and conditions
Break Point Date:	the fifth (5th), tenth (10th) or fifteenth (15th) anniversary of the Agreement Start Date, where applicable.
Capital Item(s):	the capital activities the Agreement Holder is required to carry out, as set out in the Agreement Document (and shown for illustrative purposes on the Agreement Map).
Controller:	has the meaning given in Data Protection Legislation
Countryside Stewardship or CS or the Scheme:	a scheme run by the Authority on behalf of the Managing Authority in accordance with the Governing Regulations and the 2020 Act.
Countryside Stewardship Manual:	document (including any relevant supplements) which sets out additional Scheme requirements, rules that farmers and land managers must follow on the land and further information and guidance for Agreement Holders, which is available on www.gov.uk and as further described in clause 5
Cross Compliance Requirements:	From 1 January 2024, cross compliance will not apply to CS agreements which started on or after 1 January 2016. However, note that while cross compliance no longer applies, the majority of these rules are also requirements under domestic legislation, which you will need to comply with.
Data Protection Legislation:	i) the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and any applicable national implementing Laws as amended from time to time; ii) the Data Protection Act 2018 to the extent that it relates to Processing of personal data and privacy; iii) all applicable Law about the Processing of personal data and privacy
Forestry Commission:	a government department responsible for advising the Managing Authority on the protection, expansion and promotion of the sustainable management of woodlands, and providing technical advice to the Authority in support of the Scheme.
GOV.UK:	The UK government website at www.gov.uk which contains information about the Countryside Stewardship scheme
Governing Regulations:	means The Agriculture (Financial Assistance) Regulations 2021
Grant:	the sum to be paid to the Agreement Holder under the Agreement, which may include payment to reimburse expenditure on Capital Items and/or payment in respect of income foregone and additional costs under Multi-Year Options.
Holding:	all units of land managed by the Agreement Holder (including the Agreement Land) which are situated in England and (a) used for agricultural activities or (b) forestry land and other non-agricultural land for which rural development payments are claimed.
Intellectual Property Rights:	all patents, copyrights and design rights (whether registered or not) and all applications for any of the foregoing and all rights of confidence and know-how however arising for their full term and any renewals and extensions.
Joint Controllers:	where two or more Controllers jointly determine the purposes and means of processing.
Law:	is any law, statute, subordinate legislation with the meaning of Section 21(1) of the Interpretation Act 1978, byelaw, right within the meaning of Section 4(1) EU Withdrawal Act 2018 as amended by EU (Withdrawal Agreement) Act 2020, regulation, order, regulatory policy, mandatory guidance or code of practice, judgement of a relevant court of law, or directives or requirements of any regulatory body with which the Authority or Agreement Holder is bound to comply
Managing Authority:	the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), which has overall responsibility for the Countryside Stewardship scheme.
Multi-Year Option(s):	the land management the Agreement Holder is required to undertake, as set out in the Agreement Document (and shown for illustrative purposes on the Agreement Map).
Natural England:	a non-departmental public body, established under the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006, which has responsibility for advising the Managing Authority on the protection of the natural environment in England, and providing technical advice to the Authority in support of the Scheme.
Option End Date:	the date on which the relevant Multi-Year Option comes to an end, as set out in the Agreement Document.
Option Start Date:	the date on which the relevant Multi-Year Option commences, as set out in the Agreement Document.
Payment Claim:	a claim submitted by the Agreement Holder for payment of all or part the Grant where applicable.
Personal Data:	has the meaning given to it in the Data Protection Legislation
Processor:	has the meaning given to it in the Data Protection Legislation
UK GDPR:	means the retained EU law version of the General Data Protection Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2016/679), as transposed into UK Law by the Data Protection, Privacy and Electronic Communications (Amendments etc) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (SI 419/2019)
Working Day:	any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday or a public holiday in England

1.1 References to clauses are to the clauses of these terms and conditions. Clause headings shall not affect the interpretation of these terms and conditions.

1.2 A person includes a natural person, corporate or unincorporated body (whether or not having separate legal personality).

1.3 Unless the context otherwise requires, words in the singular shall include the plural and in the plural shall include the singular and a reference to one gender shall include a reference to the other gender.

1.4 A reference to a statute or statutory provision is a reference to it as amended, extended or re-enacted from time to time and shall include all subordinate legislation made from time to time under that statute or statutory provision.

1.5 A reference to a public organisation includes a reference to any successor to that public organisation.

1.6 Any words following the terms ‘including’, ‘include’, ‘in particular’ or ‘for example’ or any similar phrase shall be construed as illustrative and shall not limit the generality of the related general words.

2. Agreement Holder’s declarations

2.1 The Agreement Holder confirms that:

(a) the declarations made in its application for the Grant remain true and accurate to the best of its knowledge and belief;

(b) it has full capacity and authority to enter into the Agreement;

(c) it is not aware of any circumstances which would render it ineligible for the Grant or otherwise prevent it from fulfilling its obligations under the Agreement;

(d) if there are any changes to the Agreement Holder’s circumstances which could affect its eligibility or suitability for the Grant or its ability to fulfil its obligations under the Agreement, it will notify the Authority in writing without delay;

(e) it has read and understood and will comply with these terms and conditions, the Agreement Document and all mandatory elements of the Countryside Stewardship Manual;

(f) it has not received and will not receive any duplicate funding or allowances from other public sources in respect of the same obligations it is required to undertake under the Agreement;

(g) its obligations under the Agreement do not duplicate and will not duplicate any other legal obligations it would otherwise be required to undertake;

(h) its obligations under the Agreement do not and will not conflict in whole or in part with any other legal or contractual obligations on the Agreement Holder;

(i) it will at all times comply with all relevant legislation in the performance of its obligations under the Agreement;

(j) all information provided by the Agreement Holder to the Authority in connection with the Agreement is and will remain true and accurate; and

(k) it has disclosed to the Authority all information which would or might reasonably be thought to influence the Authority in making the Grant offer.

2.2 The Agreement Holder confirms that it has obtained and will maintain and comply with any permits, licences, permissions, consents, approvals, certificates and authorisations (whether statutory or otherwise) which are required for the performance of its obligations under the Agreement, including those set out at paragraph 13 of the Agreement Document. The Agreement Holder understands that the Agreement does not operate as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) consent and that if such consent is required it must apply separately in accordance with any instructions provided by Natural England.

2.3 The Agreement Holder understands that the giving of any approval, consent or acknowledgement, or the review of any document or course of action by or on behalf of the Authority does not relieve the Agreement Holder of any of its obligations under the Agreement unless expressly permitted in writing by the Authority.

2.4 The Agreement Holder understands that it shall be deemed to be in breach of the conditions of the Agreement if it dishonestly, knowingly or recklessly provides false or misleading information or intentionally obstructs or fails to assist the Authority or any person carrying out any public functions or exercising any rights or powers in connection with the Agreement and such conduct by the Agreement Holder may result in the Grant being delayed, reduced, recovered or withheld and/or this Agreement being terminated in accordance with clause 19.

2.5 The Agreement Holder understands that it is an offence to knowingly or recklessly provide false or misleading information and that such conduct by the Agreement Holder may attract criminal penalties.

2.6 The Agreement Holder shall make its own enquiries as to the accuracy and adequacy of any information on which it relies in connection with the Agreement.

3. Agreement Holder obligations

3.1 In applying for and receiving the Grant, the Agreement Holder agrees to comply with these terms and conditions and the mandatory elements of the Countryside Stewardship Manual.

3.2 The Agreement Holder shall deliver the Capital Item(s) and/or the Multi-Year Option(s) in accordance with the standards and requirements set out in the Agreement Document and Countryside Stewardship Manual (including any relevant time limits) and in the agreed location(s) as identified on the Agreement Map(s).

3.3 The Agreement Holder shall comply with any requirements set out in the Countryside Stewardship Manual to maintain the Capital Item(s) for a minimum duration.

3.4 Where applicable, the Agreement Holder shall declare all parcels of land within its Holding. Any failure to do so may result in a reduction being applied to certain payments due to the Agreement Holder. Further details of the requirements (including the procedure for declaring parcels of land) are set out in the Countryside Stewardship Manual.

3.5 The Agreement Holder shall:

(a) Provide any information requested by the Authority in relation to the Agreement;

(b) Submit Claims to the Authority in accordance with clause 8 of these terms and conditions;

(c) Comply with and be subject to all applicable domestic law, including the requirements of the Governing Regulations and any relevant provisions of the 2020 Act; and

(d) Comply with and be subject to all other applicable statute, bye-law, regulations, orders, regulatory policy, guidance or industry code, rule of court or directives or requirements of any regulatory body, delegated or subordinate legislation.

4. Term

4.1 The Agreement shall commence on the Agreement Start Date and, subject to any extension in accordance with clause 4.3 or earlier termination in accordance with clause 19, it shall continue in force until the Agreement End Date.

4.2 Where the Agreement Document specifies Multi-Year Options of varying lengths, the terms of the Agreement shall apply in respect of the relevant Multi-Year Option from the Option Start Date until the Option End Date. Subject to any extension in accordance with clause 7, the Multi-Year Option will expire after the Option End Date and the relevant parcel of land shall no longer form part of the Agreement Land (although it will still remain part of the Holding).

4.3 Where the term of the Agreement is 5 years and includes Multi-Year Options, the parties may agree to extend the Agreement. The party requesting the extension must make their request in writing, no less than one month before the expiry of the Agreement. Neither party shall be under any obligation to agree to an extension requested by the other party. The extension shall take effect once it has been confirmed in writing by the Authority.

4.4 For the avoidance of doubt, expiry or termination of the Agreement shall not affect the parties’ continuing obligations in accordance with Clause 20 (Consequences of expiry or termination).

5. The Countryside Stewardship Manual

5.1 The Agreement Holder shall comply with the applicable mandatory elements of the Countryside Stewardship Manual as a condition of receiving the Grant.

5.2 The Authority may produce new versions of or amend the Countryside Stewardship Manual throughout the lifetime of the Scheme. However, subject to clause 5.3, the version applicable to the Agreement Holder shall be the version which was current at the Agreement Start Date.

5.3 In some circumstances the Authority may consider it necessary to amend or update the current or previous versions of the Countryside Stewardship Manual. The Authority will notify the Agreement Holder in writing of any amendments to the version which is applicable to the Agreement and the date on which such amendment shall take effect.

6. Transfers or acquisitions of land

6.1 The Agreement Holder must notify the Authority in writing within 90 days of the date of transfer if there is a change in management control affecting any part of its Holding, including (without limitation) sale or transfer to a new owner, changes to any lease or tenancy, permanent boundary changes or acquisition of any new land.

6.2 The Agreement Holder acknowledges and accepts that any change in management control affecting its Holding may have consequences for the Agreement. In some circumstances the Authority may be required to recover all or part of the Grant. Further details are set out in the Countryside Stewardship Manual.

7. Amendments

7.1 No amendments to the Capital Items or Multi-Year Options to be undertaken by the Agreement Holder shall be permitted unless expressly agreed in writing by the Authority.

7.2 Further details of the circumstances in which amendments may be permitted and the process to be followed are set out in the Countryside Stewardship Manual.

8. Payment Claims

8.1 The Agreement Holder shall submit Payment Claims and supporting documents to the Authority in accordance with the instructions provided in the Agreement Document, the Countryside Stewardship Manual and on the claim form.

8.2 The Grant will be paid directly to the Agreement Holder’s nominated business bank account via BACS transfer by the Authority, subject to the necessary funds being available when the payment falls due. The Agreement Holder agrees and accepts that payment of the Grant can only be made to the extent that the funds are available.

8.3 Any failure by the Agreement Holder to submit a Payment Claim in accordance with the instructions and by the specified deadline (including the provision of any supporting documents necessary to enable the claim to be processed) may result in payment of the Grant being delayed, reduced, recovered or withheld.

8.4 If the Agreement Holder fails to submit a valid Payment Claim by the specified deadline, the Grant may be subject to a reduction. In the case of severe delays, the Payment Claim may be rejected in its entirety. Further details of when reductions may be applied and how they are calculated are set out in the Countryside Stewardship Manual.

8.5 All Payment Claims will be checked and verified before any sum is paid. If there is any discrepancy between the amount claimed by the Agreement Holder and the amount the Agreement Holder is entitled to claim, the Grant may be delayed, reduced or withheld. In the most severe cases, the Payment Claim may be rejected in its entirety. Further details are set out in the Countryside Stewardship Manual.

8.6 The Authority reserves the right to adjust the payment rate for Multi-Year Options where necessary to prevent the Agreement Holder from receiving double-funding for the same activity on the Agreement Land.

8.7 The amount of the Grant shall not be increased in the event of any overspend by the Agreement Holder in the delivery of its obligations under the Agreement.

8.8 Unless otherwise explicitly permitted in writing by the Authority, the Grant may not be used to reimburse any expenditure incurred by the Agreement Holder prior to the Agreement Start Date.

8.9 The Agreement Holder must notify the Authority, without delay, of any anticipated or actual changes to the Agreement Holder’s nominated bank or building society account. Where the Authority has been notified of an actual or anticipated change to the Account Holder’s nominated business bank or building society account, the Authority may withhold payments until such time as the Authority is satisfied that the changes have been checked and verified.

8.10 Any undue payments or overpayments received by the Agreement Holder must be repaid, including those paid as a result of an administrative error by the Authority.

8.11 The Agreement Holder shall check any Grant it receives and notify the Authority immediately if it has reason to believe that any error has occurred.

8.12 If the Agreement Holder breaches the terms of the Agreement the Authority shall be entitled to take such of the steps as they consider appropriate under Regulation 24 of the Governing Regulations, including but not limited to suspending Grant payments or recovering any Grant paid from the Agreement Holder, and may charge interest pursuant to Regulation 28 of the Governing Regulations.

8.13 The Agreement Holder must notify the Authority, as soon as reasonably practicable, of any change in circumstances which might reasonably be expected to affect—

(a) its continued entitlement to the Grant;

(b) its compliance with conditions subject to which the Grant is given;

(c) the ability of the Agreement Holder to achieve the purpose for which the Grant is given in accordance with any agreed standards or timescales; or

(d) the amount of Grant awarded or due to be awarded.

8.14 The Agreement Holder acknowledges and accepts that a notifiable change of circumstances may have consequences for the Agreement, and the Authority may at its absolute discretion take action in response in accordance with Regulation 11, of the Governing Regulations, for example to reduce the amount of grant, terminate the Agreement and/or recover all or part of the Grant.

9. Breach and Repayment

Breach

9.1 The Authority reserves the right to delay, reduce, recover or withhold payment or require repayment of the Grant in whole or in part, to withhold the whole or part of any financial assistance payable under any financial assistance scheme to which the Agreement Holder is entitled, to terminate this Agreement in accordance with clause 19, or to prohibit the Agreement Holder from receiving financial assistance from other schemes under the 2020 Act for a period of up to two years if it determines, after carrying out a proportionate investigation, that any of the following circumstances applies :

(i) the Agreement Holder has, at any time, given false or misleading information to the Authority;

(ii) the Agreement Holder is in breach of the terms or conditions of the Agreement;

(iii) the Agreement Holder receives or uses Grant money otherwise than in accordance with the Agreement;

(iv) the Agreement Holder incurs expenditure using the Grant on activities that breach any Law;

(v) the Agreement Holder is in breach of any requirement to which they are subject under the Governing Regulations

(vi) the whole or any part of the sum paid or payable in relation to the Agreement duplicates assistance provided or to be provided out of the monies made available by—

the European Union,

Parliament, or

a body exercising public functions within the United Kingdom;

(vii) the activity for which the sum was paid or is payable is required to be carried out under another legally binding obligation;

(viiii) there has been a material change in the nature, scale, costs or timing of any Capital Item and/or Multi-Year Option under the Agreement;

(ix) any Capital Item and/or Multi-Year Option under the Agreement has been or is being delayed or is unlikely to be completed.

Further details are set out in the Countryside Stewardship Manual.

Repayment

9.2 If the Agreement Holder receives any overpayment or any payment to which it is not entitled (including in the event of an administrative error), the undue amount must be repaid. It is the Agreement Holder’s responsibility to check all payments it receives from the Authority and notify the Authority immediately if it has any reason to believe that an error has occurred.

9.3 If any sum becomes repayable under the Agreement, it shall be treated as a debt owing by the Agreement Holder to the Authority until such time as the outstanding amount is repaid. A recovery order will be issued to the Agreement Holder specifying the amount to be repaid and the date by which repayment must be made.

9.4 Where the Authority requires any part or all of the Grant to be repaid in accordance with this clause 9 the Agreement Holder shall repay this amount no later than 60 days beginning on the date on which the notification is given. If the Agreement Holder fails to repay the amount of the Grant required by the Authority within 60 days of a demand (subject to any appeal process) from the Authority for payment, the sum may be withheld from any financial assistance under section 1 of the 2020 Act, and in the alternative will be recoverable summarily as a civil debt, together with interest may also be charged on that amount calculated in accordance with Regulation 28 of the Governing Regulations.

9.5 In addition to the Authority’s rights pursuant to clause 9.1, the Authority may at its discretion take other actions available to the Authority pursuant to Regulation 24 of the Governing Regulations upon a determination that any of the circumstances as set out in clause 9.1(i) – 9.1(ix) has occurred. This shall include but is not limited to:

(a) issuing a warning letter to the Agreement Holder;

(b) amending, removing or replacing a condition subject to which financial assistance is given either temporarily or permanently;

(c) amending, removing or replacing any agreed standards or timescales either temporarily or permanently; and

(d) permitting the Agreement Holder to rectify the breach within a specified period

9.6 The Authority may exercise any of its rights or remedies without prejudice to and expressly reserving any and all other rights and remedies of the Authority as contained in the 2020 Act and the Governing Regulations and within the Agreement

10. Access to documents and information

The Agreement Holder shall, upon request, supply any documents, information, data, reports or written or verbal explanations which may be required by any public authority (or their authorised representatives or auditors) in connection with the Agreement or the Scheme.

11. Site visits

11.1 The Agreement Holder shall allow the Authority or the Managing Authority (or their authorised representatives or auditors) to access its land and/or premises in connection with the Agreement. Where the Authority has reasonable suspicion of a breach of any of the conditions of the Agreement or any other breaches under regulation 17(1)(a) of the Governing Regulations, a site visit may be conducted without notice. Otherwise, site visits and inspections, whether virtual or physical, will be undertaken with a minimum of 48 hours’ notice, unless with the prior agreement of the Agreement Holder. The Agreement Holder agrees to assist and co-operate with any person authorised to carry out any site visits, whether virtual or physical, (including controls and spot-checks) and shall provide access to any land, premises, plant, equipment or documents which may be required.

11.2 The Agreement Holder understands that if they intentionally obstruct, or fail to assist or provide information to any person exercising their rights in accordance with clause 11.1 and performing other tasks in connection with the Agreement this may result in the Grant being delayed, reduced, recovered or withheld and/or the Agreement terminated in accordance with clause 19.

12. Maintenance of accounts and records

12.1 The Agreement Holder shall keep accurate and up-to-date accounts and records of the receipt and expenditure of the Grant monies received by it and evidence of its compliance with its obligations under the Agreement, which shall comply with any applicable standards and requirements set out in the Agreement Document, the Countryside Stewardship Manual and in any separate written instructions issued to the Agreement Holder by the Authority or its authorised representative.

12.2 The Agreement Holder shall keep all invoices, receipts, and accounts and any other relevant documents relating to the expenditure of the Grant for a period of at least 7 years from termination or expiry of the Agreement. The Authority shall have the right to review the Agreement Holder’s accounts and records relating to the Grant and shall have the right to take copies of such accounts and records.

12.3 The Agreement Holder shall comply with and facilitate the Authority’s compliance with all statutory requirements as regards accounts, audit or examination of accounts, annual reports and annual returns applicable to itself and the Authority.

12.4 In addition to its obligations to provide information to the Authority, the Agreement Holder shall provide any of the information referred to in this clause to any other public authority (or their authorised representatives or auditors) upon request.

12.5 The Agreement Holder shall monitor the delivery and success of the Capital Items and/or Multi-Year Options to ensure that the aims and objectives of the Agreement are being met and that the Agreement is being adhered to.

13. Evaluation

13.1 The Agreement Holder acknowledges that as a condition of receiving the Grant funding it may be required to participate in a Scheme evaluation, which may take place during the Agreement or after its expiry or termination.

13.2 The Agreement Holder understands that its contact details may be disclosed to third parties for evaluation purposes and agrees to assist and cooperate with any person authorised by any public authority to carry out such an evaluation.

14. Acknowledgement and publicity

14.1 The Agreement Holder shall comply with all instructions and guidance from the Authority in relation to acknowledgement and publicity of the Grant, including using any materials or templates which are provided by the Authority for this purpose.

14.2 Where the Agreement Holder uses the name and logo of the Authority or Managing Authority, or any other organisation in its publicity, it shall comply with all reasonable branding guidelines or instructions it is given in relation to the use of such name or logo.

14.3 The Agreement Holder agrees to participate in and co-operate with promotional activities relating to the Scheme if required to do so by the Authority or Managing Authority.

14.4 The Authority or Managing Authority may acknowledge the Agreement Holder’s involvement in the Scheme as appropriate without prior notice.

14.5 The Agreement Holder shall comply with all reasonable requests from the Authority or Managing Authority to facilitate visits, provide reports, statistics, photographs and case studies that will assist the Authority or Managing Authority in its promotional and publicity activities.

14.6 The Agreement Holder agrees that, for each financial year, the Authority shall publish the following information in relation to the Agreement for the purpose of public transparency:

a. The full name of the Agreement Holder

b. The post town, post code area and district where the Agreement Holder is resident or located.

c. The total Grant payments received by the Agreement Holder in that financial year; and

d. A description of the activities financed by the relevant payments.

14.7 Information published under clause 14 shall be published on a searchable database on www.gov.uk and shall remain there for three years from initial publication.

14.8 The Agreement Holder agrees that the Authority or Managing Authority may publish such information about the Agreement Holder’s business and the grant as is necessary to comply with domestic, European and international Law on subsidy control.

14.9 The Agreement Holder shall comply with all instructions and guidance from the Authority in relation to acknowledgement and publicity of the Grant and the Scheme, including using any materials or templates which are provided to it for this purpose. Such acknowledgement and publicity may include, where appropriate, a statement on any website operated by the Agreement Holder for business purposes, and/or a poster, plaque or billboard displayed on the Agreement Holder’s land or premises.

15. Intellectual property rights

15.1 The Authority and the Agreement Holder agree that all rights, title and interest in, or to any information, data, reports, documents, procedures, forecasts, technology, knowhow and any other Intellectual Property Rights whatsoever, owned by or licensed to either the Authority or the Agreement Holder before the Agreement Start Date or developed by either party under the Agreement, shall remain the property of that party.

15.2 Where the Authority has allowed the Agreement Holder to use any of its Intellectual Property Rights in connection with the Agreement (including without limitation its name and logo), the Agreement Holder shall, on termination of the Agreement, cease to use such Intellectual Property Rights immediately (subject to any ongoing requirement to use Intellectual Property Rights in compliance with the publicity requirements in clause 14).

15.3 The Authority shall have a perpetual, non-exclusive, royalty-free, sub-licensable licence to use any Intellectual Property Rights created by the Agreement Holder in connection with the Agreement.

16. Data protection and information

16.1 The Agreement Holder and the Authority shall comply at all times with their respective obligations under Data Protection Legislation.

16.2 The Managing Authority is the Controller of any Personal Data the Agreement Holder gives to the Authority. For information on how the Authority handles personal data go to GOV.UK and search for ‘Rural Payments Agency Personal Information Charter’.

16.3 For the purposes of this clause 16 the terms Personal Data, Processor, Controller, Joint Controllers and Data Subjects have the meaning given to them in the UK GDPR.

16.4 Each party shall, with respect to its processing of Personal Data as independent Controller, implement and maintain appropriate technical and organisational measures to ensure a level of security appropriate to the risk, that shall, at a minimum, comply with the requirements of the Data Protection Legislation.

16.5 The parties acknowledge and agree that this Agreement does not require either party to act as a Processor of the other. In the event that there is any change which requires either party to act as a Processor the parties agree, at their own cost, to enter into the standard data protection clauses set out in the Crown Commercial Services Procurement Policy Note 02/18 (as amended or replaced from time to time).

16.6 The Agreement Holder agrees the Authority may use Personal Data which they provide about their staff and partners involved in the Capital Items and/or Multi-Year Options to exercise the Authority’s rights under this Agreement and or to administer the Grant or associated activities.

16.7 The parties agree to take account of any guidance issued by the Information Commissioner’s Office. The Authority may, on not less than 30 working days’ notice to the Agreement Holder, amend this Agreement to ensure that it complies with Data Protection Legislation and any guidance issued by the Information Commissioner’s Office. Each party will, at its own cost, implement any measures required for it to comply with requirements or recommendations of guidance issued by the Information Commissioner’s Office and with the terms of this Agreement.

16.8 The Agreement Holder acknowledges that Managing Authority and the Authority is subject to the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (“FOIA”) and the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 (“EIRs”).

16.9 The Agreement Holder shall provide all necessary assistance and cooperation which is reasonably requested by the Authority or Managing Authority for the purposes of complying with their obligations under FOIA and EIRs. If they require the Agreement Holder to supply information pursuant to a FOIA/EIRs request, the Agreement Holder shall supply all such information which is within its possession or control within 5 Working Days from the date of the request by the Authority or Managing Authority (or such other period as the Authority may reasonably require).

16.10 If the Agreement Holder receives a FOIA/EIR request from a member of the public, the Agreement Holder shall not respond to the request but shall forward the request to the Authority within 2 Working Days of receipt.

16.11 The Authority shall determine in its absolute discretion and in accordance with its obligations under Data Protection Legislation, whether any information is exempt from disclosure in accordance with the provisions of FOIA and/or the EIRs.

17. Limitation of liability

17.1 Neither party excludes or limits its liability for death or personal injury caused by its negligence, fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or any other liability which cannot be limited or excluded by law.

17.2 The Authority accepts no liability for any consequences, whether direct or indirect, arising from the Agreement, the use of the Grant by the Agreement Holder or the Authority exercising its rights under the Agreement.

17.3 Subject to clause 17.1 and 17.2, the Authority’s total aggregate liability in connection with the Agreement shall not exceed the amount of the Grant.

17.4 The Agreement Holder shall indemnify the Authority and any persons acting on the Authority’s behalf against all claims, demands, actions, costs, expenses, losses, damages and all other liabilities arising as a result of the actions or omissions of the Agreement Holder in connection with the Agreement.

17.5 The Agreement Holder acknowledges and accepts that if it suffers any losses which prevent it from fulfilling its obligations under the Agreement, the Authority may require the Grant to be repaid or the losses to be made good at the Agreement Holder’s own expense, regardless of whether the Agreement Holder is insured against such losses.

18. Good reasons for breach

18.1 If the Authority determines that the Agreement Holder has breached the Agreement, and the Agreement Holder (or any person authorised to act on the Agreement Holder’s behalf) has informed the Authority of good reasons for the breach, and submitted evidence in support of those reasons, within 8 weeks from the date on which the Agreement Holder is in a position to act, the Authority may decide that no enforcement action is required.

18.2 Such good reasons may include:

(a) the death or long-term professional incapacity of the Agreement Holder;

(b) a severe natural disaster gravely affecting the Holding;

(c) the accidental destruction of livestock buildings on the Holding;

(d) an epizootic or a plant disease affecting part or all of the Agreement Holder’s crops, trees or livestock; or

(e) expropriation of all or a large part of the Holding (provided that the expropriation could not have been anticipated at the time the application for funding was made).

18.3 The Authority will consider the facts on a case-by-case basis in deciding whether or not the Agreement Holder is relieved of all or part of its obligations under the Agreement and whether all or part of the Grant should be delayed, reduced, recovered or withheld.

19. Termination

19.1 The Authority reserves the right to terminate the Agreement on written notice to the Agreement Holder without compensation and with immediate effect if:

(a) the Agreement Holder has breached the terms of the Agreement or there is a change in circumstances affecting its eligibility to receive the Grant (whether or not the Authority has taken steps to recover the Grant in accordance with clause 9);

(b) the Agreement Holder has failed to repay any sum which has become recoverable by the Authority in accordance with clause 9.

19.2 If the Authority terminates the Agreement under clause 19.1 above, it reserves the right to prohibit the Agreement Holder from entering into a new agreement under any financial assistance scheme(s) under section 1 of the 2020 Act for up to two years from the day after the date of termination

19.3 In addition to its right to terminate under clause 19.1 above, the Authority may terminate the Agreement and any future Grant payments on giving the Agreement Holder 6 months’ written notice at any time. Provided that the Agreement Holder is not in breach of the Agreement, Grant payments already paid will not be recoverable.

19.4 Subject to clause 19.5 below, where the term of the Agreement is 10 years or more, either party may terminate the Agreement at the Break Point Date by giving not less than one month’s prior written notice to the other party. If notice is validly served under this clause, the Agreement will terminate on the Break Point Date, and subject to the Authority’s other rights and remedies under the Agreement, Grant payments already paid at the Break Point Date will not be recoverable.

19.5 Where the Agreement includes the Multi-Year Option WD1 (Woodland Creation- Maintenance Payments), the Agreement may not be terminated pursuant to clause 19.4 above, before the Option End Date for the WD1 option.

19.6 The Agreement Holder may terminate the Agreement at any time by giving written notice to the Authority. The Agreement Holder understands that in such circumstances (albeit subject to clause 19.7 below) it may be required to repay all or part of the Grant and that its obligations under the Agreement shall not cease until such repayment has been made. Further details of when an Agreement Holder may be required to repay all or part of the Grant pursuant to termination under this clause 19.6 are set out in the Countryside Stewardship Manual.

19.7 Where the Agreement Holder is successful in securing an agreement in another land management scheme that delivers equivalent or greater environmental value it may not be required to repay all or part of the Grant pursuant to clause 19.6. In this case the Agreement Holder will be able to terminate their agreement early without penalty usually at the end of the agreement year. This clause does not apply to the Capital Items that the Agreement Holder is required to carry out pursuant to their Agreement Document.

19.8 If a third party acquires management control of any part of the Agreement Land and is not able or willing to take on the Agreement Holder’s obligations under the Agreement, the Authority may terminate the Agreement. In such circumstances the Agreement Holder may not be required to repay the Grant and its obligations under the Agreement will cease as at the date of termination. Further details are set out in the Countryside Stewardship Manual.

20. Consequences of expiry or termination

20.1 Expiry or termination of the Agreement shall not affect any rights, remedies, obligations or liabilities of the parties that have accrued up to the date of expiry or termination which existed at or before the date of expiry or termination.

20.2 Expiry or termination of the Agreement shall not affect the continuing rights and obligations of the parties under clauses 9 (Breaches and Repayment), 10 (Access to Documents and Information), 11 (Site Visits), 12 (Maintenance of Accounts and Records), 13 (Evaluation), 14 (Acknowledgement and Publicity), 15 (Intellectual Property Rights), 16 (Data Protection and Information), 17 (Limitation of Liability), 20 (Consequences of Expiry or Termination), 22 (Severability), 23 (Waiver), 24 (Notices), 25 (Dispute Resolution), 27 (Joint and Several Liability), 28 (Third Party Rights), 29 (Governing Law) or any other provision in the Agreement or mandatory requirement in the Countryside Stewardship Manual which is expressly stated to survive expiry or termination of the Agreement or which is required to give effect to such termination or expiry or the consequences of such termination or expiry.

21. Variation

The Authority reserves the right to vary these terms and conditions or the Agreement Document. Any variation will be effected in writing and notified to the Agreement Holder in advance. The Authority shall endeavour to give such notice as is reasonable and proportionate, having regard to the nature of the variation and its consequences for the Agreement Holder.

22. Severability

If any term, condition or provision of the Agreement is held to be invalid, unlawful or unenforceable to any extent, such term, condition or provision will not affect the validity, legality and enforceability of the other terms, conditions or provisions in the Agreement or any other documents referred to in the Agreement.

23. Waiver

No failure or delay by either party to exercise any right or remedy under the Agreement shall be construed as a waiver of any other right or remedy.

24. Notices

24.1 All notices in relation to the Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if personally delivered, emailed, mailed (first class postage prepaid) or faxed using the contact details set out in the Agreement Document (or any updated address which is subsequently notified by one party to the other). It is the Agreement Holder’s responsibility to notify the Authority of any change to its contact details.

24.2 If personally delivered or if emailed all such notices shall be deemed to have been given when received (except that if received on a non-Working Day or after 5.00 pm on any Working Day they shall be deemed received on the next Working Day) and if mailed all such notices shall be deemed to have been given and received on the second Working Day following such mailing.

25. Dispute resolution

Any dispute arising between the parties or any complaint or appeal by the Agreement Holder concerning the Authority’s actions in connection with the Agreement shall be resolved according to the Authority’s complaints procedure and in accordance with the procedure set out in the Countryside Stewardship Manual.

26. No partnership or agency

The Agreement shall not create any partnership or joint venture between the Authority and the Agreement Holder, nor any relationship of principal and agent, nor authorise any party to make or enter into any commitments for, or on behalf of, the other party.

27. Joint and several liability

Where the Agreement Holder is not a company nor an incorporated entity with a distinct legal personality of its own, the individuals who enter into the Agreement on behalf of the Agreement Holder shall be jointly and severally liable for the Agreement Holder’s obligations and liabilities arising under the Agreement.

28. Third party rights

28.1 Subject to clause 28.2 below, the Agreement does not and is not intended to confer any contractual benefit on any person who is not a party to the Agreement.

28.2 The terms of the Agreement may be enforced, and recovery of any Grant may be sought by the Managing Authority, who shall be entitled to receive the benefit of the Agreement as if it was the Authority.

29. Governing law

The Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the law of England and the parties irrevocably submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts.