Capital Grants 2023: Countryside Stewardship (UK)

Deadline: 15-May-23

The 2023 Countryside Stewardship (CS) Capital Grants scheme is open for applications.

These grants are standalone capital grants available under CS which can also be used to support and complement CS Mid Tier, Higher Tier, Wildlife Offers and ES Higher Level Stewardship.

Funding Information

• The maximum amount allowable for a single application has increased to £80,000, but there’s a limit of £20,000 for each of these groups:
  • boundaries, trees and orchards
  • water quality
  • air quality
  • natural flood management
• Duration:
  • Agreement duration has increased for new agreements. For applications received from 5 January 2023, Agreement Holders will have 3 years to complete capital works.

What the grant does not cover?

The CS Capital Grants do not cover:

• any capital works done (or materials ordered) before the agreement starts
• planning application fees or other transactional fees
• agent fees or other advisory fees
• meeting legal requirements, including planning conditions and tenancy agreements
• any works on common land
• any works undertaken as part of another grant or obligation

Eligibility Criteria

• The CS Capital 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 Capital Grants, 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 may also be eligible:
  • land parcels already included in another CS agreement or an ES Higher Level Stewardship agreement, as long as the same action isn’t being funded twice, there is sufficient space in the parcel, and the options and items are compatible with each other.
  • land parcels subject to an English Woodland Grant Scheme (EWGS) agreement
  • land parcels included in a CS Implementation Plan agreement (PA1), Feasibility Study Agreement (PA2), Woodland Management Plan (PA3) or Woodland Tree Health grant agreement (as long as all other eligibility criteria are met) land in a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), but only if it has an existing CS or ES agreement
• You must have management control of all the land and all activities needed to meet the requirements of the 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 Capital Grants agreement
      • management control of the land for 5 years from the start of the CS Capital Grants agreement – if you do not have this you must get the counter signature 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.
  • 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 you have let to a tenant.
    • As the Agreement Holder, you must give your tenant a copy of the CS agreement. We may ask you to provide evidence to show that you have done this. 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. It is your responsibility to make sure that the licensee does not breach the terms of the CS agreement.
    • You must make sure that the licensee is aware of the requirements of the agreement, as relevant to the licence, and include these in the licence 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 Capital Grants:

• common land and shared grazing
• land that is already included in certain other schemes or under obligation
• developed land and hard standing (including permanent caravan sites and areas used for permanent storage)

For more information, visit Rural Payments Agency.