Key deadlines for Countryside Stewardship coming up

The first of a number of key deadlines for Countryside Stewardship applications is fast approaching.

NFU countryside adviser Claire Robinson said anyone aiming to enter into a higher-tier agreement for 2019 must request an application pack by 9 March 2018 or risk missing out.

“There is only one start date for higher-tier agreements so if this first deadline is missed it means waiting a further 12 months before an application can be made,” Ms Robinson said.

See also: Simplified Countryside Stewardship opens for business

Anyone with environmentally significant sites, commons and woodlands, which require complex management and include multi-year options and capital items, should be considering a higher-tier agreement, she added.

The higher-tier manual and form for requesting an application pack are available online from Defra or they can be requested by phone.

She advised applicants to check that all mapping and Basic Payment Schemes codes are up to date because the Rural Payments Agency will cross-reference all of the information. Any data that does not match up will cause delays or rejection from the scheme, she said.

Deadlines are also looming for other agri-environment schemes such as higher-tier options and hedgerow and boundary grants.

The deadline for higher-tier applications will be earlier than last year, on 31 July.

The scheme has a range of new options that may need longer consideration so, again, it is worth making progress as soon as possible, Ms Robinson added.

In the mid-tier there are new wildlife offers available for arable, lowland grazing, mixed and uplands.

There will be additional steps the applicant needs to take to use these options in an agreement.