Protection and Infrastructure Grants 2023: Countryside Stewardship

Deadline: 15-May-23

Applications are now open for the Countryside Stewardship (CS) Protection and Infrastructure grants scheme to support improving the management of woodland and the impact of beaver behaviours.

This grant is a standalone capital grant available under CS. Land in a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) or Scheduled Monument is now eligible for capital items if the land is already covered by an existing Countryside Stewardship (CS) or Environmental Stewardship (ES) agreement.

Funding Information

You can apply for a CS Protection and Infrastructure grant for:
- FY2 Woodland Infrastructure capital items
- Beaver Protection capital items, which are BC3 (crop protection mesh wire fencing for permanent crops) and BC4 (tree guard post and wire)
Duration: For applications received from 5 January 2023, Agreement Holders will have 3 years to complete capital works.

What the grant cannot pay for?

The grant cannot be used to pay for the cost of any of the following:

any capital works started (or materials ordered) before the agreement start date
planning application fees or other transactional fees
agent fees or other advisory fees
meeting legal requirements, including planning conditions and tenancy agreements
woodland creation for short rotation coppice or short rotation forestry
protection for trees and permanent crops that are more than 100 metres from a water body or watercourse
for fencing to protect temporary crops
any works undertaken as part of another grant or obligation

Eligibility Criteria

The CS Protection and Infrastructure grant is open to land managers who are one of the following:
- an owner occupier
- a tenant
- a landlord
- a licensor, as long as they have control of all the land and all the activities needed to meet the obligations of the grant for the full duration of the agreement
To be eligible for Protection and Infrastructure, land parcels must be entirely within England.
You must have management control of the relevant parcels for 5 years from the agreement start date or have your application countersigned by the landlord
The following are also eligible:
- land parcels included in a Forestry Commission approved Woodland Management Plan or Woodland Creation Plan
- land in an SSSI or Scheduled Monument, including the boundaries of these sites
- land parcels already included in another CS agreement or ES Higher Level Stewardship agreement can be eligible, as long as the same action is not being funded twice, there is sufficient space in the parcel and the options and items are compatible with each other
You must have management control of all the land and all activities needed to meet the requirements of the management options or capital items you select for 5 years from the CS agreement start date, including the durability requirement
If you do not you must get the written consent of all other parties who have management control of the land and activities for 5 years from the start of the agreement
- Tenants
  - If you occupy land under a tenancy, including the Agricultural Holdings Act 1986, the Agricultural Tenancies Act 1995 (a Farm Business Tenancy) or equivalent, and you are applying for an agreement in your own name, you must have:
    - security of tenure for at least 3 years from the start of the CS Protection and Infrastructure grants agreement
    - management control of the land for 5 years from the start of the CS Protection and Infrastructure grants agreement – if you do not have this you must get the countersignature of your landlord as part of your application
    - control of all the activities over the land to meet the scheme requirements for the chosen capital items
    - the agreement of your landlord before you apply
  - It is your responsibility to check that by joining CS you do not breach the terms of your tenancy agreement.
  - If the landlord takes over a CS agreement from you once your tenancy has ended, they must be eligible to do so. For example, they must not be an ineligible public body.
- Landlords
  - If you are a landlord and can show that you have enough management control over the land and activities, you can apply for an agreement on land that has been let to a tenant.
  - As the Agreement Holder, you must give your tenant a copy of the CS agreement. You may need to provide evidence, if requested, that you have given your tenant a copy of the agreement. It is your responsibility to make sure that your tenant does not breach the terms of the agreement.
- Partnerships
  - If you are in a business partnership, you can apply for CS. The person signing the application must have the appropriate permission levels in the Rural Payments service.
- Licensors
  - If you are a licensor, you can apply for a CS agreement on the land entered into a licence arrangement. It is your responsibility to make sure that the licensee does not breach the terms of the CS agreement.
- Licensees
  - Licensees are usually not eligible for CS as a licence arrangement will not provide sufficient management control of the land to the licensee for the agreement period.
  - If in practice your licence agreement gives you wider land management responsibilities, this may mean you are a tenant and therefore may be eligible for CS. You must show that you have sufficient management control of the land and activities to be able to apply.
  - Land owned by public bodies
  - Land owned or run by a public body is in general not eligible for CS.
  - Land is not eligible if it is owned or run by:
    - Crown bodies (including all government departments, executive agencies and trading funds)
    - non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs)
  - Land owned by some public bodies is eligible for CS provided the work does not form part of their obligations as a public body.
  - This includes land owned by:
    - local authorities
    - national park authorities
    - public corporations
  - Parish councils and former college farms are not considered to be public bodies and so are eligible to apply for CS.
- Tenants of land owned by public bodies
  - If you are a tenant of a public body, you will need to check with your landlord if the land is eligible for CS.
  - If the land is eligible, you will be eligible for CS, but the public body must countersign your application if you do not have security of tenure. You will not be eligible for funding any work which is already a requirement of your tenancy agreement or any other legally binding obligation.
  - If the land is not eligible, you will still be eligible for CS if you have security of tenure for the full term of the agreement, including the durability requirement, as the public body cannot countersign the application. You will not be eligible for funding any work which is already a requirement of your tenancy agreement or any other legally binding obligation.

Ineligible

The following land is not eligible for the Protection and Infrastructure grant:

developed land and hard standing (including permanent caravan sites and areas used for permanent storage)
for FY2 Woodland Infrastructure only – land that is already included in another scheme or obligation

For more information, visit Rural Payments Agency.