The Set-Aside (Amendment) Regulations 1990

Amendment of Schedules

19.  In Schedule 2 to the principal Regulations:

(a) in the heading, for the words “set-aside land” there shall be substituted “permanent fallow or rotational fallow”;

(b) for paragraph 1 there shall be substituted the following paragraph:

“1.— (a) The beneficiary shall sow a plant cover immediately after the commencement of the set-aside period unless the crop or plant cover on the land immediately prior to the commencement of the set-aside period consisted of one or more of the following: common wheat, durum wheat, rye, barley, oats, buckwheat, millet, canary seed, triticale, lucerne/alfalfa, sainfoin, clover, vetches, grass (whether for grazing or for herbage seed), mustard. If the beneficiary is prevented from establishing a plant cover by exceptional weather conditions, he shall do so as soon as practicable; or

(b) the beneficiary shall establish a plant cover immediately after the commencement of the set-aside period. If the crop planted in the year prior to the commencement of the set-aside period has not yet been harvested, the plant cover shall be established immediately after the harvest. If the beneficiary is prevented from establishing a plant cover by exceptional weather conditions, he shall do so as soon as practicable. The establishment of a plant cover may take the form of the regeneration of naturally-occurring vegetation.”.

(c) in paragraph 3(b) after the word “re-established” there shall be inserted the words “by sowing a plant cover”;

(d) in paragraph 3(c) after the word “established” there shall be inserted the words “by sowing a plant cover”;

(e) for paragraph 4 there shall be substituted the following paragraph:

“4.— (a) The beneficiary shall cut the plant cover at least twice in every year, such cuts to be taken at intervals of at least 1 month and one such cut to be taken in the period between 30th June and 1st September; or

(b) the beneficiary shall cut the plant cover at least once in every year; and shall not in either case sell cuttings or use them for feeding livestock.”; and

(f) in paragraph 13:

(i) in sub-paragraph (a) the word “and” shall be omitted where it appears the second time; and

(ii) after sub-paragraph (b) there shall be added the following sub-paragraphs:

“(c) all existing unimproved grassland, moorland and heath; and

(d) all existing vernacular buildings and stone walls,”.