Official Gazette Notification Text
Official TranscriptStatus: This is the original version (as it was originally made). This item of legislation is currently only available in its original format. STATUTORY INSTRUMENTS 2023 No. 159 AGRICULTURE, ENGLAND COUNTRYSIDE, ENGLAND The Countryside Stewardship (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2023 at 10.00 a.m. on Made - - - - 16th February 2023 at 3.00 p.m. on 16th Laid before Parliament February 2023 Coming...
Status: This is the original version (as it was originally made). This item of legislation is currently only available in its original format.
STATUTORY INSTRUMENTS 2023 No. 159 AGRICULTURE, ENGLAND COUNTRYSIDE, ENGLAND The Countryside Stewardship (England)
(Amendment) Regulations 2023 at 10.00 a.m. on Made - - - - 16th February 2023 at 3.00 p.m. on 16th Laid before Parliament February 2023 Coming into force - - 13th March 2023 The Secretary of State makes these Regulations, with the consent of the Treasury, in exercise of the powers conferred by section 98 of the Environment Act 1995(1).
Citation, commencement, extent and application
1.—(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Countryside Stewardship (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2023 and come into force on 13th March 2023.
(2) These Regulations extend to England and Wales but apply to England only.
Amendment to the Countryside Stewardship (England) Regulations 2020
2. In the Countryside Stewardship (England) Regulations 2020(2), for Part 2 of the Schedule (management activities) substitute the new Part 2 set out in the Schedule to these Regulations.
Mark Spencer Minister of State Department for Environment, Food and Rural At 10.00 a.m. on 16th February 2023 Affairs
(1) 1995 c. 25, as amended by the Scotland Act 1998 (Consequential Modifications) (No.2) Order 1999 (S.I. 1999/1820). Section 98(5) defines the appropriate Minister. The functions of the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (which related only to England) were transferred to the Secretary of State by virtue of article 2(2) of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Dissolution) Order 2002 (S.I. 2002/794).
(2) S.I. 2020/41, amended by S.I. 2021/42, 2022/141.Document Generated: 2023-03-13
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We consent Andrew Stephenson Steve Double Two of the Lord Commissioners of His 8th February 2023 Majesty’s Treasury 2Document Generated: 2023-03-13
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SCHEDULE Regulation 2 NEW PART 2 OF THE SCHEDULE TO THE COUNTRYSIDE STEWARDSHIP (ENGLAND) REGULATIONS 2020 “PART 2 MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES Column 1 Column 2 Column 3 Activity name Description Maximum payment rate per agreement year
1. Arable
(a) Nectar flower mix Establishing and £614 per hectare (“ha”) maintaining a mixture of pollen and nectar rich plants on arable land
(b) Basic overwinter Retention of £84 per ha stubble overwintered stubble until the following February
(c) Beetle banks Creation (if £667 per ha appropriate) or maintenance of beetle banks
(d) Skylark plots Creation of skylark £20.76 (£10.38 per plot plots to access growing minimum 2 plots per cereal ha)
(e) Nesting plots for Establishing and £587 per ha lapwing and stone maintaining plots for curlew ground-nesting birds
(f) Enhanced overwinter Retention of £522 per ha stubble overwintered stubble until the following July
(g) Whole crop cereals Planting and £584 per ha harvesting whole crop cereals followed by overwintered stubble
(h) Flower-rich margins Establishing flower- £673 per ha and plots rich grass margins or plots as habitat and foraging for invertebrates and birds
(i) Winter bird food Establishing blocks or £732 per ha strips of cereals, 3Document Generated: 2023-03-13
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Column 1 Column 2 Column 3 Activity name Description Maximum payment rate per agreement year brassicas and other plants providing food for farmland birds, especially for autumn and winter
(j) Unharvested cereal Creation of an £822 per ha headland unharvested, open structured cereal crop for wildlife
(k) Cultivated areas for Creation of uncropped, £550 per ha arable plants cultivated areas for scarce and declining arable plants
(l) Supplementary winter Spreading winter feed £669 per tonne for feeding for farmland mixture for birds in every 2 ha of winter birds selected feeding areas bird food
(m) Brassica fodder crop Establishing and £100 per ha managing a brassica fodder crop as foraging sites for birds
(n) Harvested low input Establishing and £266 per ha cereal managing an open- structure cereal crop as summer foraging for wildlife
(o) Two year sown legume Establishing and £593 per ha fallow managing a legume fallow mix as food for farmland wildlife
(p) Autumn sown Establishing and £637 per ha bumblebird mix managing a mix of flowering and seed bearing plants after harvest as food for farmland birds and insects
2. Boundaries, Trees and Orchards
(a) Protection of in-field Protection of in-field £503 per ha trees on arable land trees on arable land
(b) Protection of in-field Protection of in-field £295 per ha trees on intensive trees on intensive grassland grassland 4Document Generated: 2023-03-13
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Column 1 Column 2 Column 3 Activity name Description Maximum payment rate per agreement year
(c) Management of Management of £10 per 100 metres hedgerows hedgerow (one-side) (“m”) for 1 side of a hedge
(d) Management of Management of £264 per ha traditional orchards traditional orchards
(e) Creation of traditional Creation of traditional £373 per ha orchards orchards
(f) Veteran tree surgery Carrying out specialist £379 per tree tree surgery to extend the lifespan of veteran trees
(g) Supplement for Restorative pruning of £113 per tree restorative pruning of mature fruit trees fruit trees
3. Coastal
(a) Management of coastal Management of coastal £339 per ha sand dunes and sand dunes and vegetated shingle vegetated shingle
(b) Creation of coastal Creation of coastal £474 per ha sand dunes and sand dunes and vegetated shingle on vegetated shingle on arable land and arable land and improved grassland improved grassland
(c) Management of coastal Management of coastal £97 per ha saltmarsh saltmarsh
(d) Creation of inter-tidal Creation of inter-tidal £670 per ha and saline habitat on and saline habitat on arable land arable land
(e) Creation of inter-tidal Creation of inter-tidal £494 per ha and saline habitat by and saline habitat by non-intervention non-intervention
(f) Coastal vegetation Management of £117 per ha management grazing on saltmarsh or supplement saline habitat
(g) Creation of inter-tidal Creation of inter-tidal £494 per ha and saline habitat on and saline habitat on intensive grassland intensive grassland
4. Grassland
(a) Take small areas out of Taking small areas £365 per ha management of permanent grassland out of management 5Document Generated: 2023-03-13
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Column 1 Column 2 Column 3 Activity name Description Maximum payment rate per agreement year
(b) Permanent grassland Management of £151 per ha with very low inputs permanent grassland outside SDAs (3) with very low inputs outside SDAs
(c) Ryegrass seed-set as Establishing a ryegrass £474 per ha winter food for birds seed-set on grassland to provide food in the autumn and winter for birds
(d) Legume and herb-rich Establishment and £382 per ha swards maintenance of legume and herb-rich swards
(e) Permanent grassland Management of £98 per ha with very low inputs in permanent grassland SDAs with very low inputs in SDAs
(f) Management of Management of £182 per ha species-rich grassland species-rich grassland
(g) Restoration towards Restoration towards £235 per ha species-rich grassland species-rich grassland
(h) Creation of species- Creation of species- £428 per ha rich grassland rich grassland
(i) Management of wet Management of wet £353 per ha grassland for breeding grassland for breeding waders waders
(j) Management of wet Management of wet £217 per ha grassland for wintering grassland for wintering waders and wildfowl waders and wildfowl
(k) Creation of wet Creation of wet £547 per ha grassland for breeding grassland for breeding waders waders
(l) Creation of wet Creation of wet £450 per ha grassland for wintering grassland for wintering waders and wildfowl waders and wildfowl
(m) Management of Management of £152 per ha grassland for target grassland for targeted features habitats, species or features
(3) “SDA” is defined in Part 1 of the Schedule to S.I. 2020/41.
6Document Generated: 2023-03-13
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Column 1 Column 2 Column 3 Activity name Description Maximum payment rate per agreement year
(n) Creation of grassland Creation of grassland £432 per ha for target features for targeted habitats, species or features
(o) Haymaking Continue or re- £85 per ha supplement introduce haymaking on fields which are or were cut for hay once a year
(p) Rush infestation Reduce rush cover in £79 per ha control supplement grassland with heavy infestations
(q) Lenient grazing Management of £44 per ha supplement grazing to provide spring and summer invertebrate food
5. Historic environment and landscape
(a) Maintenance of Maintenance of £4.42 per square metre weatherproof weatherproof (“sq m”) traditional farm traditional farm buildings buildings
(b) Take historic and Taking land with £476 per ha archaeological features archaeological or out of cultivation historic features out of cultivation
(c) Reduced-depth, non- Reducing damage £92 per ha inversion cultivation to historical and on historic and archaeological features archaeological features under cultivation by using non- inversion machinery and shallower cultivation depths
(d) Scrub control on Controlling scrub £175 per ha historic and on historic and archaeological features archaeological features
(e) Management of Management of £44 per ha historic and historic and archaeological features archaeological features on grassland on grassland
(f) Maintenance of Maintenance of £2,129 per ha designed/ engineered designed or engineered water bodies water bodies 7Document Generated: 2023-03-13
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Column 1 Column 2 Column 3 Activity name Description Maximum payment rate per agreement year
(g) Management of Management of £808 per ha historic water historic water meadows through meadows through traditional irrigation traditional irrigation
(h) Maintenance of Maintenance of £6.93 per sq m weatherproof weatherproof traditional farm traditional farm buildings in remote buildings in remote areas areas
(i) Restricted depth crop Restricting the depth £211 per ha establishment to of crop establishment protect archaeology to protect archaeology under an arable rotation under an arable rotation
6. Lowland heath
(a) Management of Management of £366 per ha lowland heathland lowland heathland
(b) Restoration of forestry Restoration of forestry £229 per ha and woodland to and woodland to lowland heathland lowland heathland
(c) Creation of heathland Creation of lowland £607 per ha from arable or heathland from arable improved grassland or improved grassland
7. Soil and water
(a) 4-6m buffer strip on Creation (where £451 per ha cultivated land appropriate) and maintenance of 4m or 6m buffer strips on cultivated land
(b) 4-6m buffer strip on Creation (where £235 per ha intensive grassland appropriate) and maintenance of 4m or 6m buffer strips on intensive grassland
(c) In-field grass strips Creation (where £658 per ha appropriate) and maintenance of dense grassy areas on cultivated land
(d) 12-24m watercourse Creation (where £612 per ha buffer strip on appropriate) and cultivated land maintenance of 12-24m buffer strips on cultivated land 8Document Generated: 2023-03-13
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Column 1 Column 2 Column 3 Activity name Description Maximum payment rate per agreement year
(e) Enhanced management Management of maize £172 per ha of maize crops and a cover crop to reduce the risk of soil erosion and run off
(f) Winter cover crops Provision of a cover £129 per ha crop to reduce nitrate leaching
(g) Arable reversion to Reversion of arable £326 per ha grassland with low land to grassland with fertiliser input low fertiliser input
(h) Management of Management of £207 per ha intensive grassland intensive grassland adjacent to a adjacent to a watercourse watercourse
(i) Seasonal livestock Seasonal removal £115 per ha removal on intensive of livestock from grassland intensive grassland adjacent to a watercourse
(j) Seasonal livestock Seasonal removal £77 per ha removal on grassland of livestock from in SDAs next to grassland adjacent to a streams, rivers and watercourse in SDAs lakes
(k) Riparian management Prevention of livestock £596 per ha strip access to a watercourse and provision of a buffer strip
(l) Making space for water Helping water flow £781 per ha in a winding course across flood plains, flooding temporarily to restore river and wetland habitats
(m) Very low nitrogen Reduction of nutrient £396 per ha inputs to groundwaters input to grassland
(n) Nil fertiliser Reduction of nutrient £156 per ha supplement inputs to zero
(o) Flood mitigation on Creation of temporary £493 per ha arable reversion to water storage to grassland mitigate flood risk on arable reversion to grassland 9Document Generated: 2023-03-13
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Column 1 Column 2 Column 3 Activity name Description Maximum payment rate per agreement year
(p) Flood mitigation on Creation of temporary £281 per ha permanent grassland water storage to mitigate flood risk on permanent grassland
8. Uplands
(a) Enclosed rough Maintain and enhance £45 per ha grazing areas of enclosed rough grazing land within an upland farming system
(b) Management of rough Management of rough £121 per ha grazing for birds grazing habitat for birds
(c) Management of Management of £55 per ha moorland moorland
(d) Management of Management of £10 per ha moorland vegetation vegetation to restore supplement and improve Priority Habitats
(e) Moorland re-wetting Maintenance and £25 per ha supplement restoration of vegetation mosaics and wetland habitats
(f) Upland livestock Management of upland £19 per ha exclusion supplement through livestock exclusion
(g) Management of wood Management of £212 per ha pasture and parkland existing upland wood pasture and parkland
(h) Restoration of wood Restoration of upland £316 per ha pasture and parkland wood pasture and parkland
(i) Creation of wood Creation of new upland £333 per ha pasture wood pasture
9. Woodland and scrub
(a) Woodland creation – Maintenance of newly £350 per ha maintenance payments created woodland
(b) Woodland Improvement of £100 per ha improvement existing woodland
(c) Woodland edges on Creation of new £402 per ha arable land woodland edge habitat 10Document Generated: 2023-03-13
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Column 1 Column 2 Column 3 Activity name Description Maximum payment rate per agreement year
(d) Management of wood Management of £198 per ha pasture and parkland existing lowland wood pasture and parkland
(e) Restoration of wood Restoration of lowland £371 per ha pasture and parkland wood pasture and parkland
(f) Creation of wood Creation of new £544 per ha pasture lowland wood pasture
(g) Management of Management of £88 per ha successional areas and successional areas and scrub scrub
(h) Creation of Creation of £149 per ha successional areas and successional areas and scrub scrub
(i) Livestock exclusion Exclusion of livestock £121 per ha supplement – scrub and from scrub and successional areas successional areas
10. Wetlands
(a) Buffering in-field Creation and £311 per ha ponds and ditches in maintenance of buffer improved grassland strips for in-field ponds and ditches in improved grassland
(b) Buffering in-field Creation and £594 per ha ponds and ditches on maintenance of buffer arable land strips for in-field ponds and ditches on arable land
(c) Management of ditches Management of ditches £44 per 100m for the of high environmental of high environmental management of both value value (both sides) sides of the ditch
(d) Pond management Management of small £119 per pond (area less than or equal ponds of high wildlife to 100 sq m) value
(e) Pond management Management of larger £211 per pond (area more than 100 sq ponds of high wildlife m) value
(f) Management of Management, £81 per ha reedbed maintenance and restoration of reedbed 11Document Generated: 2023-03-13
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Column 1 Column 2 Column 3 Activity name Description Maximum payment rate per agreement year
(g) Creation of reedbed Creation of new areas £328 per ha of reedbed
(h) Management of fen Management of fen £39 per ha and small areas of reedbed
(i) Creation of fen Creation of new areas £537 per ha of fen
(j) Management of Management of £185 per ha lowland raised bog lowland raised bog
(k) Wetland cutting Cutting management £1,089 per ha supplement of wetland habitats
(l) Wetland grazing Grazing management £459 per ha supplement of wetland habitats
11. Organic
(a) Overwintered stubble Retaining overwinter £176 per ha stubble on organic land
(b) Wild bird seed mixture Establishing a mix of £768 per ha seed-bearing plants on organic land
(c) Supplementary feeding Spreading winter feed £887 per tonne for for farmland birds mixture for birds in every 2 ha of wild bird selected feeding areas seed mixture on organic land
(d) Multi-species ley Establishing and £115 per ha managing a multi- species ley on organic land
(e) Undersown cereal Establishing an autumn £306 per ha or spring sown cereal crop undersown with a grass/flower- rich legume ley
12. Organic conversion
(a) Organic conversion – Conversion of £187 per ha per year for improved permanent improved permanent up to 2 years grassland grassland to organic management
(b) Organic conversion – Conversion of £89 per ha per year for unimproved permanent unimproved permanent up to 2 years grassland grassland to organic management 12Document Generated: 2023-03-13
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Column 1 Column 2 Column 3 Activity name Description Maximum payment rate per agreement year
(c) Organic conversion – Conversion of £296 per ha per year for rotational land rotational land to up to 2 years organic management
(d) Organic conversion – Conversion of £703 per ha per year for horticulture rotational land used to up to 2 years produce vegetables or salads into organic
(e) Organic conversion – Conversion of top £1,254 per ha per year top fruit fruit orchards or berry for up to 3 years bushes to organic management
13. Organic maintenance
(a) Organic land Maintaining improved £40 per ha management - permanent grassland improved permanent under organic grassland management
(b) Organic land Maintaining £36 per ha management - unimproved permanent unimproved permanent grassland under grassland organic management
(c) Organic land Maintaining rotational £132 per ha management - land under organic rotational land management
(d) Organic land Maintaining £471 per ha management – horticultural land horticulture under organic management
(e) Organic land Maintaining top fruit £1,920 per ha management - top fruit orchards or berry bushes under organic management
(f) Organic land Maintaining enclosed £69 per ha management - enclosed rough grazing land rough grazing under organic management
14. Additional supplements
(a) Difficult sites Management of £76 per ha supplement particularly difficult sites
(b) Raised water level Raising water levels £127 per ha supplement in ditches and adjacent land 13Document Generated: 2023-03-13
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Column 1 Column 2 Column 3 Activity name Description Maximum payment rate per agreement year
(c) Bracken control Controlling dense £185 per ha supplement bracken
(d) Control of invasive Controlling invasive £347 per ha plant species plant species supplement
(e) Shepherding Introducing, re- £9 per ha supplement introducing or making significant changes to shepherding
(f) Cattle grazing Cattle grazing for £45 per ha supplement conservation purposes
(g) Introduction of cattle Introduction of £279 per ha grazing on the Isles of conservation grazing Scilly on the Isles of Scilly on land that is not currently grazed by cattle
(h) Native breeds at risk Grazing native breeds £167 per ha supplement at risk
(i) Threatened species Additional habitat £171 per ha supplement management for named Priority Species
(j) Administration of Administering £6.07 per ha group managed agreements with agreements shared tenure supplement
15. Educational access
(a) Education access Permitting and making £318 per visit” provision for access to farm land for educational visits 14Document Generated: 2023-03-13
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EXPLANATORY NOTE (This note is not part of the Regulations) These Regulations further amend the Countryside Stewardship (England) Regulations 2020 (“the 2020 Regulations”) (S.I. 2020/41) and are made pursuant to section 98 of the Environment Act 1995 (c. 25).
Regulation 2 amends, with effect from 13th March 2023, the maximum payment rates per agreement year for management activities carried out as part of a countryside stewardship agreement under regulation 3 of the 2020 Regulations.
A full impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as no, or no significant, impact on the private, voluntary or public sector is foreseen.
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