Deadline: 15-May-23
The Countryside Stewardship (CS) Higher Tier Capital Grants is now open for applications to achieve additional benefits alongside the higher tier agreements.
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 Environmental Stewardship (ES) Higher Level Stewardship. This is a new scheme which offers 3-year agreements for capital items. It provides additional environmental benefits without the need for a CS Higher Tier agreement.
This scheme offers a selection of specialist Higher Tier capital items to help support their most environmentally significant sites and woodlands.
Funding Information
- For applications including capital expenditure of over £50,000 in total, you must submit a statement from a registered accountant (for example, a chartered accountant or certified accountant).
- 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 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
Eligibility Criteria
- The CS Higher Tier Capital Grants scheme is open to land managers who are:
- 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 a CS Higher Tier Capital Grants agreement, 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 eligible:
- land parcels included in a Forestry Commission approved Woodland Management Plan (WMP) or Woodland Creation Plan (WCP)
- land in an SSSI or Scheduled Monument, including the boundaries of these sites, but only if it has an existing CS or ES agreement
- land parcels already included in another CS agreement or in an ES Higher Level Stewardship agreement, 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 the 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 have full control of the land and all such activities, 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, this land is eligible if you have all of the following:
- security of tenure for at least 3 years from the start of the CS Higher Tier Capital Grants agreement.
- management control of the land for 5 years from the start of the CS Higher Tier Capital 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.
- 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, this land is eligible if you have all of the following:
- 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 in a licence arrangement. It is your responsibility to make sure that the licensee does not breach the terms of CS.
- 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.
- Tenants
Ineligible
CS Higher Tier Capital Grants cannot be used on:
- developed land and hard standing, including permanent caravan sites and areas used for permanent storage
- land that is already included in certain other schemes or under obligation
For more information, visit Rural Payments Agency.