The Environmentally Sensitive Areas (Blackdown Hills) Designation Order 1994

1.  As regards any species rich hay meadow which is the subject of an agreement—

(1) the farmer shall maintain the land and shall not plough, level or reseed. The farmer shall notcultivate except by means of a chain harrow or by roller and shall not use a chain harrow or roller from 1st April until 30th June inclusive in any year;

(2) the farmer shall graze with cattle or sheep or both but not so as to cause poaching, overgrazing or undergrazing. The farmer shall exclude stock from hay meadows before 1st May in any year and until the end of cutting;

(3) the farmer shall cut the grass for hay once a year, but not before 1st July in any year.At least once in any five year period he shall not cut until after 15th July. The farmer shall remove the cuttings and graze the aftermath with livestock;

(4) the farmer shall not apply any organic or inorganic fertiliser except for farmyard manure. He shall not increase existing application rates of farmyard manure and in any event not apply more than 12.5 tonnes per hectare per year. He shall apply farmyard manure only in a single dressing;

(5) the farmer shall not apply slurry, pig or poultry manure or sewage sludge;

(6) the farmer shall not apply any lime, slag or any other substance designed to reduce acidity of the soil;

(7) the farmer shall not apply any fungicides or insecticides;

(8) the farmer shall not apply any herbicides except to control bracken, stinging nettles, spear thistle, creeping or field thistle, curled dock, broadleaved dock or ragwort or to carry out stump treatment of cleared scrub. Herbicides used for these purposes shall be applied by wick applicator or by spot treatment. In the case of bracken, control shall be by means of asulam where mechanical means cannot be used;

(9) the farmer shall not install any new land drainage system or modify any existing land drainage so as to bring about improved drainage.