Countryside Stewardship Applications in 2022 quick facts:

• Now closed for Higher Tier
• Deadline for Mid Tier 29th July
• No deadline for Wildlife Offers & Capital Grants 
• More to follow in the next blog

Countryside Stewardship Applications are now OPEN

On the 8th February, the Countryside Stewardship application window re-opened allowing farmers and land managers to apply for the following schemes:

• Mid Tier
• Wildlife Offers
• Higher Tier (now closed)

Capital Grants Mid Tier or Wildlife Offer agreements provide a range of options to deliver a broad range of environmental benefits, whilst Higher Tier requires more complex management tailored to the individual site.

Countryside Stewardship has become more attractive since the UK’s departure from the EU. Inspection regimes and penalty applications have been relaxed and all new agreements contain a break clause allowing the agreement to be terminated in order for the agreement holder to enter into a new scheme under ELMs.

More recently, payment rates for annual options have been reviewed and on average have increased by 30%. This will be active from 2022, and existing agreement holders will also receive the uplift in payments.

Countryside Stewardship offers a good opportunity to offset the now very real decline in BPS payments as we enter the second year of reductions. Countryside Stewardship remains open for applications this year and next year until ELM replacement scheme “Local Nature Recovery” is released in 2024.

The application deadline for Higher Tier was 29th April and is the 29th of July for Mid Tier.

For more information and support with Countryside Stewardship Applications in 2022, get in touch with us today.