The Countryside Stewardship Regulations 1998

Regulation 4(4), (6) and (7)

SCHEDULE 1 ACTIVITIES AND ITEMS IN RESPECT OF WHICH THE MINISTER MAY MAKE GRANTS

PART I Management Activities

Column 1	Column 2
Activity	Maximum payment rate
1.  In relation to hay meadows— (a) management of lowland meadowland of more than 3 hectares	£85 per hectare per agreement year
(b) management of lowland meadowland of 3 hectares or less	£115 per hectare per agreement year
(c) management of upland meadowland of more than 5 hectares	£80 per hectare per agreement year
(d) management of upland meadowland of 5 hectares or less	£130 per hectare per agreement year
(e) where sub-paragraph (a), (b), (c) or (d) apply, additional management in the initial years of the agreement.	£40 per hectare per agreement year for the first 5 agreement years
2.  In relation to grazed pasture— (a) management of pasture of more than 3 hectares	£85 per hectare per agreement year
(b) management of pasture of 3 hectares or less	£115 per hectare per agreement year
(c) management of enclosed upland pasture	£50 per hectare per agreement year
(d) management of grassland above chalk and limestone	£60 per hectare per agreement year
(e) management of upland rough pasture	£20 per hectare per agreement year
(f) where sub-paragraph (a), (b), (c), (d) or (e) apply, additional management in the initial years of the agreement.	£40 per hectare per agreement year for the first 5 agreement years
3.  In relation to upland moorland— (a) management to enable regeneration of suppressed heather	£65 per hectare per agreement year for the first 5 agreement years, then £15 per hectare per agreement year for the next 5 agreement years
(b) management to enable regeneration of heather on improved land.	£120 per hectare per agreement year for the first 5 agreement years, then £70 per hectare per agreement year for the next 5 agreement years
4.  In relation to cultivated land— (a) creation and management of grassland	£280 per hectare per agreement year
(b) where sub-paragraph (a) applies, additional management in the initial years of the agreement.	£40 per hectare per agreement year for the first 5 agreement years
5.  In relation to existing or proposed lowland heath— (a) management to prevent decline of existing lowland heath	£20 per hectare per agreement year
(b) management to improve existing lowland heath	£30 per hectare per agreement year
(c) creation and management of lowland heath on cultivated land	£275 per hectare per agreement year
(d) where sub-paragraph (a), (b) or (c) applies, additional management at any stage of the agreement.	£50 per hectare per agreement year
6.  In relation to arable field margins— (a) establishment and maintenance of an uncropped arable margin at least 6 metres wide	£35 per 100 metres per agreement year
(b) establishment and maintenance of a grass margin or strip at least 2 metres wide.	£15 per 100 metres per agreement year
7.  In relation to areas other than any of a kind referred to in paragraphs 1 to 6 above— (a) restoration and management of orchards	£250 per hectare per agreement year
(b) restoration and management of water meadows	£225 per hectare per agreement year
(c) management of sand dunes	£50 per hectare per agreement year
(d) where sub-paragraph (c) applies, additional management in the first agreement year in which the management of sand dunes commences	£40 per hectare in respect of the first such agreement year
(e) management of salt-marshes	£20 per hectare per agreement year
(f) where sub-paragraph (e) applies, additional management in the first agreement year in which the management of salt-marshes commences	£40 per hectare in respect of the first such agreement year
(g) management of any of the following: fen, reedbeds and carr	£100 per hectare per agreement year
(h) where sub-paragraph (g) applies, additional creation of reedbeds or additional planting of willow or alder saplings.	£40 per hectare per agreement year for the first 5 agreement years
8.  In relation to public access— (a) creation and maintenance of new footpaths for public access	£150 per agreement year plus £0.15 per metre per agreement year
(b) creation and maintenance of new bridleways for public access	£150 per agreement year plus £0.30 per metre per agreement year
(c) creation and maintenance of paths suitable for use by disabled people for public access	£150 per agreement year plus £0.30 per metre per agreement year
(d) permitting access to agreement land for educational visits	£500 per agreement year
(e) permitting other public access to agreement land.	£150 per agreement year plus £35 per hectare per agreement year
9.  In relation to arable land in a pilot area— (a) the retention of overwintered stubbles, other than in the circumstances specified in sub-paragraph (b), (c) or (e) below	£55 per hectare per agreement year
(b) the retention of overwintered stubbles immediately following the cultivation of a cereal or linseed crop	£80 per hectare per agreement year
(c) the retention of overwintered stubbles, followed by a spring and summer fallow	£540 per hectare per agreement year
(d) the retention of overwintered stubbles in the circumstances described in both sub-paragraphs (b) and (c)	£565 per hectare per agreement year
(e) the retention of overwintered stubbles, followed by the cultivation of a spring crop	£90 per hectare per agreement year
(f) the retention of overwintered stubbles in the circumstances described in both sub-paragraphs (b) and (e)	£115 per hectare per agreement year
(g) undersowing of a spring cereal crop, other than in the circumstances specified in sub-paragraph (h) or (i) below	£180 per hectare per agreement year
(h) the undersowing of a spring cereal crop following the retention of overwintered stubbles	£200 per hectare per agreement year
(i) the undersowing of a spring cereal crop, which is followed by a ley	£600 per hectare per agreement year
(j) the undersowing of a spring cereal crop in the circumstances specified in both sub-paragraphs (h) and (i)	£620 per hectare per agreement year
(k) creating and managing a crop margin with no summer insecticide	£20 per hectare per agreement year
(l) creating and managing a conservation headland	£100 per hectare per agreement year
(m) creating and managing a conservation headland without any fertiliser applications	£150 per hectare per agreement year
(n) establishment of wildlife seed mixtures.	Agreed costs of implementing proposal

PART II Capital Activities

Column 1	Column 2
Activity	Maximum payment rate
1.  In relation to hedgerow restoration— (a) laying, coppicing or planting to fill gaps in hedge, or any combination of these	£2 per metre
(b) follow-up maintenance of restored hedgerows 5 years after carrying out the activity referred to in sub-paragraph (a)	£1 per metre
(c) planting of a hedge	£2 per metre
(d) where sub-paragraph (a) applies, preparatory work on hedges that are more than 1.5 metres wide and 5 metres high	£1 per metre
(e) where sub-paragraph (a) applies, removal of fence posts and wires	£0.50 per metre
(f) where sub-paragraph (a) applies, additional work which involves use of staking and top binding.	£1 per metre
2.  In relation to field boundaries— (a) restoration of stone wall	£12 per metre
(b) where sub-paragraph (a) applies, additional work where 50% or more of the stone is imported from outside the holding, or additional work to a length of wall of at least 10 metres on slopes exceeding 30 degrees	£4 per metre
(c) installation of wiring along upper surface of a stone wall	£0.60 per metre
(d) repair of a stone-faced hedge bank	£10 per metre
(e) restoration of a stone-faced hedge bank	£25 per metre
(f) restoration of an earth bank	£3 per metre
(g) restoration of a ditch.	£2 per metre
3.  In relation to tree-planting and tree management— (a) planting of trees and shrubs	£0.65 per tree or shrub
(b) coppicing of trees along watercourses	£15 per tree
(c) pollarding of trees	£22.50 per tree
(d) tree surgery	£50 per tree for major work £22.50 per tree for minor work
(e) installation of a spiral rabbit guard	£0.20 per guard
(f) installation of a tree-tube	£0.50 per tube
(g) planting of a standard tree in a park of historical interest	£6 per tree
(h) installation of a parkland guard in a park of historical interest.	£30 per guard
4.  In relation to orchards— (a) pruning and restoration of fruit trees	£8 per tree
(b) pruning to restore the frame of fruit trees	£30 per tree
(c) planting of maiden fruit trees	£3 per tree
(d) planting of standard fruit trees	£10 per tree
(e) installation of an orchard tree-guard.	£1.50 per guard
5.  In relation to water levels and features— (a) installation of an earth bund	£40 per bund
(b) installation of a timber sluice	£140 per sluice
(c) installation of a brick, stone or concrete sluice	£400 per sluice
(d) installation of a culvert	£40 per culvert
(e) creation of a pond	£3 per square metre of surface area up to 100 square metres of surface area, and £0.50 per square metre of surface area thereafter
(f) restoration of an existing pond	£2 per square metre of surface area up to 100 square metres of surface area, and £0.50 per square metre of surface area thereafter
(g) creation of a scrape.	£1.25 per square metre of surface area up to 100 square metres of surface area, and £0.25 per square metre of surface area thereafter.
6.  In relation to scrub— (a) removal or reduction of scrub, where scrub ground cover is less than 25%	£50, plus £100 per hectare
(b) removal or reduction of scrub, where scrub ground cover is not less than 25% and not more than 75%	£50, plus £250 per hectare
(c) removal or reduction of scrub where scrub ground cover is over 75%	£50, plus £500 per hectare
(d) where sub-paragraph (a), (b) or (c) applies, follow-up work to remove scrub regrowth.	£40 per hectare
7.  In relation to bracken— (a) removal or reduction of bracken by mechanical means	£80, plus £30 per hectare
(b) removal or reduction of bracken by the application of chemicals.	£50, plus £70 per hectare
8.  In relation to fencing— (a) installation of post and wire fencing	£0.80 per metre
(b) installation of sheep fencing	£1.20 per metre
(c) installation of rabbit netting	£0.60 per metre
(d) installation of a river gate	£125 per gate
(e) installation of a field gate	£125 per gate
(f) installation of deer fencing in parks of historical interest.	£3.50 per metre
9.  In relation to the supply of water— (a) installation of pipelines to supply water	£0.40 per metre
(b) installation of a water trough.	£25 per trough
10.  In relation to agreement land to which public access is available— (a) installation of a bridle gate	£100 per gate
(b) installation of a kissing gate	£130 per gate
(c) installation of a kissing gate suitable for use by disabled people	£200 per gate
(d) installation of a timber stile other than a ladder stile	£30 per stile
(e) installation of a ladder stile	£55 per stile
(f) installation of a step-over stile in stone wall	£20 per stile
(g) installation of a step-through stile in stone wall	£30 per stile
(h) construction of a footbridge	£125 per footbridge
(i) installation of a bench	£30 per bench
(j) construction of hard standing for car park	£5 per square metre
(k) construction of hard standing for paths suitable for use by disabled people.	£7.50 per square metre
11.  Clearance of an eyesore.	£120 per eyesore

PART III Advice

Column 1	Column 2
Activity	Maximum payment rate
1.  Payment in respect of charges incurred for technical advice and professional help in the preparation of an application for a stewardship agreement, where a stewardship agreement is subsequently entered into.	£120 per application
2.  Payment in respect of charges incurred for professional help in the preparation of a management plan where a stewardship agreement is subsequently entered into or where a stewardship agreement is in force at the time of preparation of the management plan.	£300 per plan
3.  Payment in respect of charges incurred for professional help in the preparation of notes for schoolteachers in relation to agreement land to which access for educational visits is permitted.	£100 per agreement

PART IV Interpretation

1.  In Parts I to III of Schedule 1—

“carr” means an area of marshy ground on which the vegetation is predominantly willow or alder;

“conservation headland” means an area around the outside of a cereal crop that receives no insecticides in the spring or summer and where the use of herbicides is restricted;

“fen” means an area of low-lying marshy ground;

“grassland” means land on which the vegetation consists primarily of grass species;

“heath” means an area of grass, shrubs and trees on acidic sandy soils;

“improved land” means land which has been drained, fertilised, reseeded or otherwise managed to increase its productive capacity;

“maiden fruit tree” means a fruit tree not more than 2 years old;

“management plan” means a plan for carrying out any activity (other than the making of a payment) provided for in a stewardship agreement;

“meadowland” means land used for the production of hay or silage;

“overwintered stubbles” means the remains of a cereal or linseed crop after harvesting, retained through the winter into the next year;

“pilot area” means any of the areas shown coloured yellow on the maps marked A and B contained in the document entitled “Countryside Stewardship Scheme—Arable Farmland Pilot Areas”, dated 21st May 1998, signed by the Parliamentary Secretary on behalf of the Minister and deposited at the offices of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Nobel House, 17 Smith Square, London SW1P 3HX, together with any other land which—

(a)

by reason of its close proximity is farmed together with any land situated in any such area, as a single unit of farmland;

(b)

is the smaller part of that unit; and

(c)

in the Minister’s opinion cannot reasonably be treated separately from any land so situated for the purpose of these Regulations;

“reedbeds” means an area of marshy ground on which the vegetation consists primarily of reeds;

“rough pasture” means permanent grassland on which the vegetation is predominantly natural because agricultural improvement is difficult due to terrain or other physical constraints;

“scrape” means a shallow excavation which may hold water seasonally;

“spring cereal crop” means a cereal crop sown in the spring;

“spring crop” means an arable crop sown in the spring;

“spring and summer fallow” means land that is cultivated in the spring and then left without further disturbance or cultivation during the spring or summer;

“standard fruit tree” means a fruit tree other than a maiden fruit tree, with a stem of between 1.6 metres and 2 metres, and no more than 5 years old;

“water meadow” means a meadow which is periodically inundated with water through a system of sluices and carriers; and

“wildlife seed mixtures” means the sowing of a mixture of seeds of plant species that will benefit wildlife.

2.  In Part I of Schedule 1 any reference to—

(a) land described as “lowland” land is a reference to land which is not “upland” land; and

(b) land described as “upland” land is a reference to land situated within the area in England included in the list of less-favoured farming areas established under Article 2(2) of Council Directive 75/268/EC on mountain and hill farming and farming in less-favoured areas(1) (as last amended by Council Decision 97/158/EEC, amending the boundaries of the mountain and hill areas in France(2)), which list is contained in Council Directive 84/169/EEC(3) as amended by Commission Decision 91/25/EEC(4).

3.  In Schedule 1—

(a) any reference to a given unit of measurement includes (where appropriate to the circumstances) a reference to a fraction of that unit; and

(b) where (in accordance with sub-paragraph (a) above) a reference to a given unit of measurement is a reference to a fraction thereof, any reference to a payment rate in relation to the given unit of measurement shall be adjusted in proportion to the fraction concerned.

Regulation 2

SCHEDULE 2 REVOCATION

(1)	(2)
Regulations Revoked	References
The Countryside Stewardship Regulations 1996	S.I. 1996/695
The Countryside Stewardship (Amendment) (Extension to the Isles of Scilly) Regulations 1996	S.I. 1996/1481
The Countryside Stewardship (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 1996	S.I. 1996/3123
The Countryside Stewardship (Amendment) Regulations 1997	S.I. 1997/1827

(1)

OJ No. L128, 19.5.75, p.1.

(2)

OJ No. L97, 1.3.97, p.64.

(3)

OJ No. L82, 26.3.84, p.67.

(4)

OJ No. L16, 22.1.91, p.25.