{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/countryside-management-regulations-northern-ireland-2001/schedule-4",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/countryside-management-regulations-northern-ireland-2001/schedule-4.json",
  "legislation": "nisr/2001/43",
  "legislation_title": "Countryside Management Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2001",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/countryside-management-regulations-northern-ireland-2001",
  "path": "schedule/4",
  "kind": "schedule",
  "number": "4",
  "heading": "Management Activities (Optional Habitats)",
  "text": "Column (1)\nColumn (2)\nActivity\nMaximum Payment Rate\n1 In relation to arable lands managed for wildlife—\n(a) retention of winter stubble;\n£50 per hectare per annum.\n(b) conversion of improved land to spring cereals or oil seed rape;\n£90 per hectare per annum.\n(c) establishment of wild bird cover crop on improved land;\n£500 per hectare per annum.\n(d) establishment of wild bird cover crop on arable land;\n£490 per hectare per annum.\n(e) creation of a rough grass field margin;\n£515 per hectare per annum.\n(f) establishment of a conservation crop margin.\n£100 per hectare per annum.\n2 In relation to winter feeding sites for migratory swans and geese—\n(a) management of improved land for winter feeding of migratory swans and geese of 5 hectares or less;\n£110 per hectare per annum.\n(b) management of improved land for winter feeding of migratory swans and geese over 5 hectares and up to and including 25 hectares;\n£55 per hectare per annum.\n(c) management of improved land for winter feeding of migratory swans and geese over 25 hectares;\n£25 per hectare per annum.\n(d) management of arable land for winter feeding of migratory swans and geese of 5 hectares or less;\n£195 per hectare per annum.\n(e) management of arable land for winter feeding of migratory swans and geese over 5 hectares and up to and including 25 hectares;\n£95 per hectare per annum.\n(f) management of arable land for winter feeding of migratory swans and geese over 25 hectares.\n£45 per hectare per annum.\n3 In relation to lapwing breeding sites—\n(a) management of improved land for lapwing breeding;\n£160 per hectare per annum.\n(b) management of unimproved land for lapwing breeding.\n£130 per hectare per annum.\n4 In relation to traditional orchards—\n(a) restoration of traditional orchards eligible for restoration;\n£260 per hectare per annum.\n(b) recreation of traditional orchards eligible for recreation.\n£380 per hectare per annum.\n5 In relation to buffer strips adjacent to an Area of Special Scientific Interest, National Nature Reserve, Natura 2000 site, watercourse, lake or woodland—\n(a) management of a buffer strip on improved land;\n£385 per hectare per annum.\n(b) management of a buffer strip on unimproved land.\n£345 per hectare per annum.\n6 In relation to heather regeneration—\n(a) burning of heather;\n£60 per hectare per annum.\n(b) flailing of heather.\n£45 per hectare per annum.\n7 In relation to bracken—\n(a) control of bracken by tractor spraying;\n£140 per hectare per annum.\n(b) control of bracken by knapsack spraying.\n£220 per hectare per annum.\n8 In relation to rhododendron—\ncontrol of rhododendron.\n£390 per hectare per annum.\n9 In relation to scrub—\ncontrol of scrub.\n£95 per hectare per annum.\n10 In relation to restoration of field boundaries—\n(a) restoring 5 metres of field boundaries per hectare per year;\n£40 per hectare per annum.\n(b) restoring 10 metres of field boundaries per hectare per year.\n£80 per hectare per annum.\n11 In relation to provision of native trees—\nprovision of native trees for areas less than 0.2 hectares.\n£750 per hectare per annum.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisr/2001/43/schedule/4",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T02:13:02.850639+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}