Defra confirms dual use to continue for Higher Tier stewardship
© Tim Scrivener Defra has announced it will continue to allow so-called “dual use” for farms in Higher Tier Countryside Stewardship Scheme agreements.
The most common situation for dual use agreements is where a landlord claims agri-environment payments while the tenant claims under the Basic Payment Scheme.
The practice had been allowed under previous environmental stewardship schemes but Defra was thought to be considering outlawing it under the new Countryside Stewardship Scheme.
See also: Countryside stewardship launches – but still lacks detail
Countryside Stewardship dual use in brief
- Higher Tier from 2016
- Higher Tier and Mid Tier from 2017
- Farmers and land managers in England with existing Environmental Stewardship and woodland agreements already have dual use arrangements
Defra’s decision means applications for the Higher Tier scheme, which will start on 1 January 2016, will allow dual use.
But applicants for the 2016 Mid Tier scheme will not be included in the ruling.
Instead Mid Tier applications will only come under the dual use ruling from 1 January 2017.
Farm minister George Eustice said he was pleased to “confirm the future of the approach”.
“We have worked hard to identify a way of allowing dual use to continue so that it is possible to ensure that some of our most effective countryside stewardship projects can continue to be developed as part of the farmed environment,” Mr Eustice said.