Common land to gain access to Countryside Stewardship

The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) has confirmed that farmers managing common land will soon be able to apply for Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT), having made good progress in incorporating the necessary functionality into its computer systems.

The move follows active campaigning led by the Foundation for Common Land, dismayed that more than 4,000 farming businesses with common rights in England were at risk of exclusion from the scheme due to simple IT incompatibility.

See also: Thousands of commoners face SFI and CS exclusion

But the RPA says it now plans to trial the process by inviting a small number of commons to apply to CSHT in September.

Once successfully tested, the RPA anticipates extending the new application process to other commons in England.

Be prepared

Foundation trustee and Devon farmer Robin Milton says it is essential that all commons planning to apply for CS undertake the necessary surveys in advance, as completion of these is a requirement to being invited to apply.

“These may include peatland restoration surveys, ecological habitat mapping and consent for fencing,” he said.

“Most of these works can be funded through a capital PA2 grant and early contact with your Natural England adviser is strongly recommended.”

Foundation for Common Land executive director Julia Aglionby extended thanks to other farming and environmental organisations, members of the public and parliamentarians who had put pressure on ministers.

This had ensured the RPA had upgraded its IT systems significantly earlier than planned.

Tenant Farmers Association (TFA) chief executive George Dunn also welcomed the development, which would allow commoners access to CSHIT “in the first instance”.

“The TFA has always been clear that commons must not be excluded from Environmental Land Management schemes,” he said, pledging to work with TFA members to ensure the pilot runs successfully and can be rolled out more generally.

SFI remains excluded

Meanwhile, work would continue with the Foundation for Common Land to extend the provision to the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI), which remains closed to common land applications.

“Once we have got over these technical barriers, we will need to address shortcomings within the schemes themselves.

“This ncludes the insistence on inappropriately low stocking rates which do not take into consideration the circumstances of the specific landscapes within which the schemes will operate,” said Mr Dunn.  

It is understood that the RPA has no plans to introduce the necessary functionality for SFI this year.