Spring 2005

Enhancing the Environment

Julie Liddle of H&H Bowe outlines the new Environmental Stewardship Entry Level Scheme

Environmental Stewardship is to be delivered in two parts;
1. the Entry Level Scheme (ELS) which is non competitive and open to all farmers; and
2. the Higher Level Scheme (HLS) which is competitive and is a fairly intensive undertaking.

The Environmental Stewardship is a hybrid of both the Countryside Stewardship Scheme and the Environmentally Sensitive Area Scheme.

Entry Level Scheme
Similar to the Countryside Stewardship Scheme there are certain criteria by which to measure each application these being; agriculture, ecology, historic features, landscape, and access. The Scheme is launched on 3 March 2005. There is also an Organic Entry Level Scheme (OELS).

The HLS is a discretionary scheme, it is competitive and therefore not all applications will be successful. The proposal is that the farmer, his agent and RDS work together to achieve the objectives suitable to the holding under the Scheme.

An Agreement is for a 10 year period however if you have already commenced an ELS programme, for instance two years before your successful HLS application, the ELS will be restarted at the same time. The proposal is that management options are less prescriptive but will describe the desired outcome. This means there may be no named stocking levels but rather the expectation that the farmer will reduce accordingly to the objective to be achieved.

The application window is quarterly and a joint ELS and HLS proposal can be submitted. (The Farm Environment Plan under the HLS is compulsory. The application form is to be completed by the farmer with the HLS plan, documentation and associated maps being completed by his agent.)

The new Scheme should be viewed as a pyramid with the very basic Good Agricultural and Environmental Conditions regulations under Single Farm Payment at the bottom of the pyramid and the associated cross compliance measures sitting on top. The Entry Level Scheme comes next as the first branch of the Environmental Stewardship and the Higher Level sits at the top of the pyramid.

It is anticipated that most land under a SSSI designation will be covered by the HLS Scheme however in certain circumstances an agreement with English Nature under their Wildlife Enhancement Scheme may be possible.

Farm Environment Record
The ELS has four main objectives, access, landscape, historic environment and biodiversity which are the same as those under the former Countryside Stewardship Scheme. Added to these is natural resource protection.

The Scheme is non competitive with a five year duration. It is compulsory to identify and map key features on the holding for example hedges, banks, ponds, ditches, woodland etc from which to compile a Farm Environment Record (FER). Each of these features attract a number of points, and successful applicants need to accrue sufficient points to provide 30 points per hectare over the holding which will then equate to a payment of £30 per hectare. The proposal is that this is a user friendly scheme and farmers should be able to complete the application forms themselves.

The Organic Entry Level Scheme (OELS) has a higher payment being £60 per hectare and includes payments for conversion. If a farmer is already organic or in organic conversion and a member of a registered organic association it will be most surprising if they are not accepted into the scheme.

The Farm Environment Record (FER) is the pre cursor to the Farm Environment Plan (FEP) which must be compiled for entry to the Higher Level Scheme (HLS). One visit by an agent could mean both of these are done in unison.

Practicalities
The contact point to receive the handbook, application form, environmental information maps (already marked up from Rural Land Registry (RLR)) and two blank maps is the Business Development Centre (BDC) at Crewe formally the CSS and ESA main office for the north west.

For further information contact H & H Bowe.

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