All the ins and outs of Countryside Stewardship—essential information for the English landowner looking to enhance their land and access financial support.
The Countryside Stewardship (CS) scheme is a comprehensive programme designed to support farmers, landowners, and land managers in England to adopt sustainable land management practices, restore habitats, and contribute to nature recovery. The scheme provides a range of grants to enhance biodiversity, water quality, and soil health, as well as to create and maintain woodlands and other key habitats.
Countryside Stewardship is a key component of the Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes in England, aimed at ensuring that land managers are rewarded for delivering public goods through environmental stewardship. This introductory article will provide an overview of the CS scheme, including its purpose, structure, and the main types of grants available.
What is Countryside Stewardship?
The Countryside Stewardship scheme offers financial incentives to help landowners manage their land in ways that benefit the environment. This includes creating new habitats, maintaining existing ones, and implementing sustainable agricultural practices. The scheme is particularly aimed at improving biodiversity, enhancing water and air quality, and contributing to climate resilience.
The scheme was established to replace the previous EU-funded agri-environmental schemes and is now a cornerstone of England’s post-Brexit agricultural policy. Countryside Stewardship fits within the broader ELM framework, which also includes the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) and Landscape Recovery schemes.
Is Countryside Stewardship Available Across the UK?
No, Countryside Stewardship is available only in England. Similar schemes exist in other parts of the UK, such as the Agri-Environment Climate Scheme (AECS) in Scotland, Glastir in Wales, and the Environmental Farming Scheme (EFS) in Northern Ireland. Each country’s scheme is tailored to local environmental needs and priorities, making Countryside Stewardship specific to English landowners and their land management goals.
The Structure of Countryside Stewardship
Countryside Stewardship is divided into several funding tiers and grant categories, each tailored to different levels of land management complexity and environmental objectives. The main types of grants are as follows:
Mid-Tier Grants
Mid-Tier grants are designed for landowners looking to implement relatively straightforward environmental improvements. These include creating buffer strips, planting cover crops, and establishing wildflower margins to enhance biodiversity and improve water quality.
- Eligibility: Open to farmers, land managers, and landowners with eligible land types.
- Duration: Typically, 5-year agreements.
- Examples of Actions Funded: Creating wildflower margins, improving water quality through riparian buffer zones, and planting hedgerows.
Higher-Tier Grants
Higher-Tier grants support more complex and large-scale projects that often involve multi-year commitments and collaboration between multiple stakeholders. This tier is designed to deliver significant environmental benefits such as restoring wetlands and creating woodlands.
- Eligibility: Suitable for landowners managing sensitive sites or larger areas that require advanced environmental management.
- Duration: Typically, 5-year agreements, with the possibility of longer commitments for certain actions.
- Examples of Actions Funded: Woodland creation and management, wetland restoration, and managing priority habitats.
Capital Grants
Capital Grants provide one-off payments for projects that involve physical works or infrastructure improvements. They are ideal for actions such as installing fencing, planting trees, and creating ponds.
- Eligibility: Open to all landowners and farmers in England, with a focus on tangible environmental improvements.
- Duration: Usually cover specific projects to be completed within 2 years.
- Examples of Actions Funded: Installing fencing to protect watercourses, planting trees, creating new ponds, or improving farm infrastructure.
How Countryside Stewardship Supports Tenant Farmers
Countryside Stewardship is designed to be accessible to both landowners and tenant farmers. The scheme offers flexible options for tenant farmers who have a sufficient duration of tenure and management control over the land they wish to include in the scheme. In most cases, tenant farmers need to ensure that they have a tenancy agreement covering the duration of the Countryside Stewardship agreement, which is usually 5 years for Mid-Tier and Higher-Tier agreements.
Additionally, tenant farmers must obtain written permission from their landlords when applying for certain grants under Countryside Stewardship. This ensures that both parties are aware of the commitments involved and that there is clear management control over the land.
How Countryside Stewardship Works with Other Schemes and Grants
Countryside Stewardship can be combined with other schemes, such as the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) and the England Woodland Creation Offer (EWCO), to maximise environmental benefits and financial support. Key considerations include:
- Combining Countryside Stewardship with SFI:
- Landowners can participate in both schemes as long as the activities funded under each scheme do not overlap. For instance, SFI funding for soil health improvements can complement CS grants for hedgerow management or woodland creation in separate areas of the farm.
- Integrating with the England Woodland Creation Offer (EWCO):
- CS and EWCO can work together to support new woodland creation and management. For example, EWCO provides support for planting and establishing new woodlands, while CS can offer additional funding for the long-term management and maintenance of these woodlands.
- Working with Private and Environmental Organisation Funding:
- Private funding opportunities, such as Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) and carbon credit schemes, can also complement Countryside Stewardship projects. However, care must be taken to ensure no double funding for the same outcomes.
How Long Do Countryside Stewardship Grants Last?
The duration of Countryside Stewardship agreements varies depending on the type of grant:
- Mid-Tier and Higher-Tier Agreements: Typically last for 5 years, ensuring sustained support for environmental management activities over a multi-year period.
- Capital Grants: Usually shorter-term, focusing on one-off projects to be completed within 2 years.
The length of these agreements allows landowners to develop and maintain projects that provide long-term benefits to biodiversity, water quality, and landscape health.
Countryside Stewardship is a versatile and impactful scheme for landowners in England looking to support nature recovery and sustainable land management. By understanding the structure and opportunities within the scheme, landowners can access funding that aligns with their environmental and economic goals. Whether you are a large estate owner or a tenant farmer, there is likely a Countryside Stewardship option that can support your efforts to manage your land in a way that benefits both the environment and your agricultural productivity.
If you’re interested in participating in Countryside Stewardship, consider consulting with scheme advisers and exploring how it can be integrated with other funding options, such as SFI or EWCO, to create a comprehensive environmental management plan.
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