# The Countryside Premium Scheme (Scotland) Regulations 1997, Schedule 2: MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES


Management activity
Site criteria
Management requirements
1 Management of grassland for birds
A field used for growing hay or silage
a. The field must not be rolled, harrowed or grazed after 15th May;
b. Mowing or the reintroduction of grazing must not take place before 15th July or, where corncrakes (crex crex) are likely to be present, 1st August;
c. Hay and silage must be cut only in such manner as minimises the risk of damage to young birds;
d. Fertiliser, slurry or farmyard manure must not be applied to the field after 31st May; and
e. Pesticides may be used only with the consent of the Secretary of State.
2 Management of species-rich grassland
Species-rich grassland on inbye land
a. Livestock must be excluded from the site for a period of not less than 3 months between 15th April and 15th August;
b. After that period, the grass must be grazed down or cut; and
c. The site must not be used for supplementary feeding of stock;
d. Fertiliser, slurry or manure must not be applied to the land; and
e. Pesticides may be applied only with the consent of the Secretary of State.
3 Creation of species-rich grassland
Arable land or improved grassland
a. Any existing grassland cover must be destroyed;
b. The site must be sown with a low productivity grass and herb mix to create a new sward;
c. The site must not be mown or grazed between 15th April and 15th August;
d. For the remainder of the year grazing must not exceed an annual average of 1.4 livestock units per hectare;
e. The site must not be used as a site for supplementary feeding of stock;
f. Fertiliser, slurry or manure must not be applied to the land; and
g. Pesticides may be applied only with the consent of the Secretary of State.
4 Management of wetland
Wetland on inbye land
a. Livestock must be–
(i) excluded for a period of not less than 4 months between 1st April and 31st August; or
(ii) excluded for a period of 3 months from 1st April provided that grazing in the following period of 3 months from 1st July does not exceed 0.3 livestock units per hectare; or
b. Grazing must not exceed 0.15 livestock units per hectare for 6 months from 1st April;
c. Fertiliser, slurry or manure must not be applied to the land; and
d. Pesticides may be applied only with the consent of the Secretary of State.
5 Creation of wetland
Existing arable land or improved grassland where the raised water levels resulting from creation of wetland would not adversely affect other agricultural land or cause the erosion of river banks.
a. The site must be managed to ensure that it is normally saturated with water for a significant proportion of the year;
b. The site must not be mown or grazed for a period of not less than 3 months between 15th April and 15th August;
c. Outwith such period, grazing must not exceed an annual average of 1.4 livestock units per hectare;
d. Fertiliser, slurry or manure must not be applied to the land; and
e. Pesticides may be applied only with the consent of the Secretary of State.
6 Management of water margin
Inbye land which borders a watercourse having a bed width of not less than 0.6 metres or still water and which–
a. in the case of a site bordering a watercourse having a bed width of less than 1.2 metres, has a minimum width of 5 times the bed width of the watercourse;
b. in the case of a site bordering a watercourse, has a minimum width of 6 metres; and
c. in the case of a site bordering still water, has a minimum width of 12 metres.
a. Livestock must be excluded except for the period from 1st August to 30th September when grazing at a stocking density of no more than 0.15 livestock units per hectare may take place;
b. The site must be maintained by the control of statutory weeds, hogweed and japanese knotweed and, as the case may be, by clearing the watercourse of any obstacle;
c. Fertiliser, slurry or manure must not be applied to the land; and
d. Pesticides may be applied only with the consent of the Secretary of State.
7 Management of flood plain
A site which forms all or part of a flood plain where–
a. all or part of the flood plain is included in the undertaking as the site of another management activity; and
b. the flooding of the site would not adversely affect other agricultural land.
The natural flooding of the land must not be hindered.
8 Management of coastal health
Land bordering the sea containing moorland or species rich grassland affected by salt spray and exposure.
a. Livestock must be excluded between 1st April and 31st August;
b. The site must be grazed between 1st September and 30th November;
c. Between 1st December and 31st March, any grazing should not exceed 0.08 livestock units per hectare;
d. The land must not be used as a site for supplementary feeding of stock;
e. Fertiliser, slurry or manure must not be applied to the land; and
f. Pesticides may be applied only with the consent of the Secretary of State.
9 Stock disposal
Moorland which is of conservation interest and has a stocking density which does not exceed an annual average of 4.5 livestock units per hectare.
a. The requirements of the moorland management plan must be followed; and
b. Ewe numbers on the holding for the purposes of IACS of which the site forms part must be reduced by at least the number of ewes removed from the site in accordance with the plan and must not be increased for the relevant period.
10 Muirburn
Moorland identified in a moorland management plan as appropriate for muirburn.
All muirburn must be undertaken in accordance with guidance approved by the Secretary of State.
11 The creation of grass margin or beetlebank
Land forming a strip between 1.5 metres and 6 metres in width around or across arable fields.
a. The strip must be established by sowing a suitable mix of grass seed;
b. The strip must not be grazed;
c. Fertiliser, slurry or manure must not be applied to the strips; and
d. Pesticides may be applied only with the consent of the Secretary of State.
12 Creation of conservation headland
Headland with a minimum width of 6 metres around arable fields.
Insecticides and herbicides may be applied to the headlands only with the consent of the Secretary of State.
13 Introduction or retention of extensive cropping
A site comprising arable land or improved grassland in the Less Favoured Area which does not exceed 4 hectares and subject to a maximum area per undertaking of 8 hectares.
a. A minimum 3 year rotation of crops must be agreed with the Secretary of State.
b. Application of fertiliser must not exceed 50kg N: 25kg P2O5: 25kg K20 per hectare;
c. Ploughing, cultivations and the spreading of fertiliser may only take place between 28th February and 15th May; and
d. Insecticides and herbicides may be applied only with the consent of the Secretary of State.
14 Management of cropped machair
Cropped machair
a. The site must be in a rotation of one or more years of arable cultivation with at least as many years of fallow;
b. Ploughing and cultivation may only take place between 28th February and 15th May;
c. The site must be left to revert to natural grass after the crop harvest;
d. Pesticides may be applied only with the consent of the Secretary of State;
e. No artificial fertiliser may be applied to the land; and
f. Seaweed and manure may be applied in accordance with traditional practice.
15 Creation of extended hedge
A strip of arable or improved grassland situated alongside an existing or newly created hedge.
a. All livestock must be excluded and no arable cultivations may be carried out within 3 metres of the centre line of the hedge;
b. Where the hedge is trimmed in January or February it must not be trimmed again for two years or, where it is trimmed in any other month, for three years;
c. The grass in the strip must not be cut, unless with the consent of the Secretary of State;
d. Fertiliser, slurry or manure must not be applied to the land; and
e. Pesticides may be applied only with the consent of the Secretary of State.
16 Management of scrub
Grazed land with suppressed scrub.
a. Stock must be excluded from the land;
b. Fertiliser, slurry or manure must not be applied to the land; and
c. Pesticides may be applied only with the consent of the Secretary of State.
17 The provision of access
A site on inbye land, comprising a 10 metre wide strip or, subject to a maximum of 4 hectares, all or part of a field, which, in the opinion of the Secretary of State, provides a new or significantly enhanced access opportunity.
a. The site must be available for public access at no charge;
b. Unobstructed passage must be maintained over the site;
c. The site and any field crossed by the site must be kept free of refuse;
d. With the exception of bulls under 10 months of age, bulls must be excluded from the site or any field crossed by the site;
e. Adequate means of entry must be provided and maintained;
f. Signboards and waymarking arrows must be installed at appropriate positions and maintained;
g. Any erosion caused to the site must be repaired;
h. Consent must be given to details of the access opportunity being made public by the Secretary of State;
i. The site may be closed to the public for a specified number of days with the consent of the Secretary of State, providing a sign giving notice of the intended closure is posted at each entry point to the site at least 2 weeks in advance of the date of closure; and
j. Public liability insurance cover in respect of at least one claim of up to £1 million in any year shall be maintained.
18 Management of a site of archaeological or historic |interest
Land containing a site of archaeological or historic interest.
The management of the site must be agreed in advance with the Secretary of State and may include, as appropriate, controls over grazing, the cutting and removal of trees, scrub and woody plants, the repair of erosion damage, the establishment of unploughed buffer zones and the realignment of fences, tracks and resiting of hard standings.

---
Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1997/330/schedule/2 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/countryside-premium-scheme-scotland-regulations-1997/schedule-2
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.