# The Countryside Stewardship (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2023

S.I. 2023/159 · made 16 February 2023

These Regulations further amend the Countryside Stewardship (England) Regulations 2020 (“the 2020 Regulations”) (S.I. 2020/41) and are made pursuant to section 98 of the Environment Act 1995 (c. 25).

Made under: Environment Act 1995 (Section 98)

PDFs: Printed copy https://openlegislation.uk/countryside-stewardship-england-amendment-regulations-2023/pdf/uksi_20230159_en.pdf; UK Explanatory Memorandum https://openlegislation.uk/countryside-stewardship-england-amendment-regulations-2023/pdf/uksiem_20230159_en.pdf

## Introductory text

Agriculture, England
Countryside, England
Made at 10.00 a.m. on 16th February 2023
Laid before Parliament at 3.00 p.m. on 16th February 2023
Coming into force 13th March 2023
The Secretary of State makes these Regulations, with the consent of the Treasury, in exercise of the powers conferred by section 98 of the Environment Act 1995.

## 1 Citation, commencement, extent and application

(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Countryside Stewardship (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2023 and come into force on 13th March 2023.
(2) These Regulations extend to England and Wales but apply to England only.

## 2 Amendment to the Countryside Stewardship (England) Regulations 2020

In the Countryside Stewardship (England) Regulations 2020, for Part 2 of the Schedule (management activities) substitute the new Part 2 set out in the Schedule to these Regulations.

## Signature

Mark Spencer
Minister of State
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
At 10.00 a.m. on 16th February 2023
We consent
Andrew Stephenson
Steve Double
Two of the Lord Commissioners of His Majesty’s Treasury
8th February 2023

## NEW PART 2 OF THE SCHEDULE TO THE COUNTRYSIDE STEWARDSHIP (ENGLAND) REGULATIONS 2020

“PART 2
MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES
Column 1
Column 2
Column 3
Activity name
Description
Maximum payment rate per agreement year
1. Arable
(a)
Nectar flower mix
Establishing and maintaining a mixture of pollen and nectar rich plants on arable land
£614 per hectare (“ha”)
(b)
Basic overwinter stubble
Retention of overwintered stubble until the following February
£84 per ha
(c)
Beetle banks
Creation (if appropriate) or maintenance of beetle banks
£667 per ha
(d)
Skylark plots
Creation of skylark plots to access growing cereal
£20.76 (£10.38 per plot minimum 2 plots per ha)
(e)
Nesting plots for lapwing and stone curlew
Establishing and maintaining plots for ground-nesting birds
£587 per ha
(f)
Enhanced overwinter stubble
Retention of overwintered stubble until the following July
£522 per ha
(g)
Whole crop cereals
Planting and harvesting whole crop cereals followed by overwintered stubble
£584 per ha
(h)
Flower-rich margins and plots
Establishing flower-rich grass margins or plots as habitat and foraging for invertebrates and birds
£673 per ha
(i)
Winter bird food
Establishing blocks or strips of cereals, brassicas and other plants providing food for farmland birds, especially for autumn and winter
£732 per ha
(j)
Unharvested cereal headland
Creation of an unharvested, open structured cereal crop for wildlife
£822 per ha
(k)
Cultivated areas for arable plants
Creation of uncropped, cultivated areas for scarce and declining arable plants
£550 per ha
(l)
Supplementary winter feeding for farmland birds
Spreading winter feed mixture for birds in selected feeding areas
£669 per tonne for every 2 ha of winter bird food
(m)
Brassica fodder crop
Establishing and managing a brassica fodder crop as foraging sites for birds
£100 per ha
(n)
Harvested low input cereal
Establishing and managing an open-structure cereal crop as summer foraging for wildlife
£266 per ha
(o)
Two year sown legume fallow
Establishing and managing a legume fallow mix as food for farmland wildlife
£593 per ha
(p)
Autumn sown bumblebird mix
Establishing and managing a mix of flowering and seed bearing plants after harvest as food for farmland birds and insects
£637 per ha
2. Boundaries, Trees and Orchards
(a)
Protection of in-field trees on arable land
Protection of in-field trees on arable land
£503 per ha
(b)
Protection of in-field trees on intensive grassland
Protection of in-field trees on intensive grassland
£295 per ha
(c)
Management of hedgerows
Management of hedgerow (one-side)
£10 per 100 metres (“m”) for 1 side of a hedge
(d)
Management of traditional orchards
Management of traditional orchards
£264 per ha
(e)
Creation of traditional orchards
Creation of traditional orchards
£373 per ha
(f)
Veteran tree surgery
Carrying out specialist tree surgery to extend the lifespan of veteran trees
£379 per tree
(g)
Supplement for restorative pruning of fruit trees
Restorative pruning of mature fruit trees
£113 per tree
3. Coastal
(a)
Management of coastal sand dunes and vegetated shingle
Management of coastal sand dunes and vegetated shingle
£339 per ha
(b)
Creation of coastal sand dunes and vegetated shingle on arable land and improved grassland
Creation of coastal sand dunes and vegetated shingle on arable land and improved grassland
£474 per ha
(c)
Management of coastal saltmarsh
Management of coastal saltmarsh
£97 per ha
(d)
Creation of inter-tidal and saline habitat on arable land
Creation of inter-tidal and saline habitat on arable land
£670 per ha
(e)
Creation of inter-tidal and saline habitat by non-intervention
Creation of inter-tidal and saline habitat by non-intervention
£494 per ha
(f)
Coastal vegetation management supplement
Management of grazing on saltmarsh or saline habitat
£117 per ha
(g)
Creation of inter-tidal and saline habitat on intensive grassland
Creation of inter-tidal and saline habitat on intensive grassland
£494 per ha
4. Grassland
(a)
Take small areas out of management
Taking small areas of permanent grassland out of management
£365 per ha
(b)
Permanent grassland with very low inputs outside SDAs
Management of permanent grassland with very low inputs outside SDAs
£151 per ha
(c)
Ryegrass seed-set as winter food for birds
Establishing a ryegrass seed-set on grassland to provide food in the autumn and winter for birds
£474 per ha
(d)
Legume and herb-rich swards
Establishment and maintenance of legume and herb-rich swards
£382 per ha
(e)
Permanent grassland with very low inputs in SDAs
Management of permanent grassland with very low inputs in SDAs
£98 per ha
(f)
Management of species-rich grassland
Management of species-rich grassland
£182 per ha
(g)
Restoration towards species-rich grassland
Restoration towards species-rich grassland
£235 per ha
(h)
Creation of species-rich grassland
Creation of species-rich grassland
£428 per ha
(i)
Management of wet grassland for breeding waders
Management of wet grassland for breeding waders
£353 per ha
(j)
Management of wet grassland for wintering waders and wildfowl
Management of wet grassland for wintering waders and wildfowl
£217 per ha
(k)
Creation of wet grassland for breeding waders
Creation of wet grassland for breeding waders
£547 per ha
(l)
Creation of wet grassland for wintering waders and wildfowl
Creation of wet grassland for wintering waders and wildfowl
£450 per ha
(m)
Management of grassland for target features
Management of grassland for targeted habitats, species or features
£152 per ha
(n)
Creation of grassland for target features
Creation of grassland for targeted habitats, species or features
£432 per ha
(o)
Haymaking supplement
Continue or re-introduce haymaking on fields which are or were cut for hay once a year
£85 per ha
(p)
Rush infestation control supplement
Reduce rush cover in grassland with heavy infestations
£79 per ha
(q)
Lenient grazing supplement
Management of grazing to provide spring and summer invertebrate food
£44 per ha
5. Historic environment and landscape
(a)
Maintenance of weatherproof traditional farm buildings
Maintenance of weatherproof traditional farm buildings
£4.42 per square metre (“sq m”)
(b)
Take historic and archaeological features out of cultivation
Taking land with archaeological or historic features out of cultivation
£476 per ha
(c)
Reduced-depth, non-inversion cultivation on historic and archaeological features
Reducing damage to historical and archaeological features under cultivation by using non-inversion machinery and shallower cultivation depths
£92 per ha
(d)
Scrub control on historic and archaeological features
Controlling scrub on historic and archaeological features
£175 per ha
(e)
Management of historic and archaeological features on grassland
Management of historic and archaeological features on grassland
£44 per ha
(f)
Maintenance of designed/ engineered water bodies
Maintenance of designed or engineered water bodies
£2,129 per ha
(g)
Management of historic water meadows through traditional irrigation
Management of historic water meadows through traditional irrigation
£808 per ha
(h)
Maintenance of weatherproof traditional farm buildings in remote areas
Maintenance of weatherproof traditional farm buildings in remote areas
£6.93 per sq m
(i)
Restricted depth crop establishment to protect archaeology under an arable rotation
Restricting the depth of crop establishment to protect archaeology under an arable rotation
£211 per ha
6. Lowland heath
(a)
Management of lowland heathland
Management of lowland heathland
£366 per ha
(b)
Restoration of forestry and woodland to lowland heathland
Restoration of forestry and woodland to lowland heathland
£229 per ha
(c)
Creation of heathland from arable or improved grassland
Creation of lowland heathland from arable or improved grassland
£607 per ha
7. Soil and water
(a)
4-6m buffer strip on cultivated land
Creation (where appropriate) and maintenance of 4m or 6m buffer strips on cultivated land
£451 per ha
(b)
4-6m buffer strip on intensive grassland
Creation (where appropriate) and maintenance of 4m or 6m buffer strips on intensive grassland
£235 per ha
(c)
In-field grass strips
Creation (where appropriate) and maintenance of dense grassy areas on cultivated land
£658 per ha
(d)
12-24m watercourse buffer strip on cultivated land
Creation (where appropriate) and maintenance of 12-24m buffer strips on cultivated land
£612 per ha
(e)
Enhanced management of maize crops
Management of maize and a cover crop to reduce the risk of soil erosion and run off
£172 per ha
(f)
Winter cover crops
Provision of a cover crop to reduce nitrate leaching
£129 per ha
(g)
Arable reversion to grassland with low fertiliser input
Reversion of arable land to grassland with low fertiliser input
£326 per ha
(h)
Management of intensive grassland adjacent to a watercourse
Management of intensive grassland adjacent to a watercourse
£207 per ha
(i)
Seasonal livestock removal on intensive grassland
Seasonal removal of livestock from intensive grassland adjacent to a watercourse
£115 per ha
(j)
Seasonal livestock removal on grassland in SDAs next to streams, rivers and lakes
Seasonal removal of livestock from grassland adjacent to a watercourse in SDAs
£77 per ha
(k)
Riparian management strip
Prevention of livestock access to a watercourse and provision of a buffer strip
£596 per ha
(l)
Making space for water
Helping water flow in a winding course across flood plains, flooding temporarily to restore river and wetland habitats
£781 per ha
(m)
Very low nitrogen inputs to groundwaters
Reduction of nutrient input to grassland
£396 per ha
(n)
Nil fertiliser supplement
Reduction of nutrient inputs to zero
£156 per ha
(o)
Flood mitigation on arable reversion to grassland
Creation of temporary water storage to mitigate flood risk on arable reversion to grassland
£493 per ha
(p)
Flood mitigation on permanent grassland
Creation of temporary water storage to mitigate flood risk on permanent grassland
£281 per ha
8. Uplands
(a)
Enclosed rough grazing
Maintain and enhance areas of enclosed rough grazing land within an upland farming system
£45 per ha
(b)
Management of rough grazing for birds
Management of rough grazing habitat for birds
£121 per ha
(c)
Management of moorland
Management of moorland
£55 per ha
(d)
Management of moorland vegetation supplement
Management of vegetation to restore and improve Priority Habitats
£10 per ha
(e)
Moorland re-wetting supplement
Maintenance and restoration of vegetation mosaics and wetland habitats
£25 per ha
(f)
Upland livestock exclusion supplement
Management of upland through livestock exclusion
£19 per ha
(g)
Management of wood pasture and parkland
Management of existing upland wood pasture and parkland
£212 per ha
(h)
Restoration of wood pasture and parkland
Restoration of upland wood pasture and parkland
£316 per ha
(i)
Creation of wood pasture
Creation of new upland wood pasture
£333 per ha
9. Woodland and scrub
(a)
Woodland creation – maintenance payments
Maintenance of newly created woodland
£350 per ha
(b)
Woodland improvement
Improvement of existing woodland
£100 per ha
(c)
Woodland edges on arable land
Creation of new woodland edge habitat
£402 per ha
(d)
Management of wood pasture and parkland
Management of existing lowland wood pasture and parkland
£198 per ha
(e)
Restoration of wood pasture and parkland
Restoration of lowland wood pasture and parkland
£371 per ha
(f)
Creation of wood pasture
Creation of new lowland wood pasture
£544 per ha
(g)
Management of successional areas and scrub
Management of successional areas and scrub
£88 per ha
(h)
Creation of successional areas and scrub
Creation of successional areas and scrub
£149 per ha
(i)
Livestock exclusion supplement – scrub and successional areas
Exclusion of livestock from scrub and successional areas
£121 per ha
10. Wetlands
(a)
Buffering in-field ponds and ditches in improved grassland
Creation and maintenance of buffer strips for in-field ponds and ditches in improved grassland
£311 per ha
(b)
Buffering in-field ponds and ditches on arable land
Creation and maintenance of buffer strips for in-field ponds and ditches on arable land
£594 per ha
(c)
Management of ditches of high environmental value
Management of ditches of high environmental value (both sides)
£44 per 100m for the management of both sides of the ditch
(d)
Pond management (area less than or equal to 100 sq m)
Management of small ponds of high wildlife value
£119 per pond
(e)
Pond management (area more than 100 sq m)
Management of larger ponds of high wildlife value
£211 per pond
(f)
Management of reedbed
Management, maintenance and restoration of reedbed
£81 per ha
(g)
Creation of reedbed
Creation of new areas of reedbed
£328 per ha
(h)
Management of fen
Management of fen and small areas of reedbed
£39 per ha
(i)
Creation of fen
Creation of new areas of fen
£537 per ha
(j)
Management of lowland raised bog
Management of lowland raised bog
£185 per ha
(k)
Wetland cutting supplement
Cutting management of wetland habitats
£1,089 per ha
(l)
Wetland grazing supplement
Grazing management of wetland habitats
£459 per ha
11. Organic
(a)
Overwintered stubble
Retaining overwinter stubble on organic land
£176 per ha
(b)
Wild bird seed mixture
Establishing a mix of seed-bearing plants on organic land
£768 per ha
(c)
Supplementary feeding for farmland birds
Spreading winter feed mixture for birds in selected feeding areas on organic land
£887 per tonne for every 2 ha of wild bird seed mixture
(d)
Multi-species ley
Establishing and managing a multi-species ley on organic land
£115 per ha
(e)
Undersown cereal
Establishing an autumn or spring sown cereal crop undersown with a grass/flower-rich legume ley
£306 per ha
12. Organic conversion
(a)
Organic conversion – improved permanent grassland
Conversion of improved permanent grassland to organic management
£187 per ha per year for up to 2 years
(b)
Organic conversion – unimproved permanent grassland
Conversion of unimproved permanent grassland to organic management
£89 per ha per year for up to 2 years
(c)
Organic conversion – rotational land
Conversion of rotational land to organic management
£296 per ha per year for up to 2 years
(d)
Organic conversion – horticulture
Conversion of rotational land used to produce vegetables or salads into organic
£703 per ha per year for up to 2 years
(e)
Organic conversion – top fruit
Conversion of top fruit orchards or berry bushes to organic management
£1,254 per ha per year for up to 3 years
13. Organic maintenance
(a)
Organic land management - improved permanent grassland
Maintaining improved permanent grassland under organic management
£40 per ha
(b)
Organic land management - unimproved permanent grassland
Maintaining unimproved permanent grassland under organic management
£36 per ha
(c)
Organic land management - rotational land
Maintaining rotational land under organic management
£132 per ha
(d)
Organic land management – horticulture
Maintaining horticultural land under organic management
£471 per ha
(e)
Organic land management - top fruit
Maintaining top fruit orchards or berry bushes under organic management
£1,920 per ha
(f)
Organic land management - enclosed rough grazing
Maintaining enclosed rough grazing land under organic management
£69 per ha
14. Additional supplements
(a)
Difficult sites supplement
Management of particularly difficult sites
£76 per ha
(b)
Raised water level supplement
Raising water levels in ditches and adjacent land
£127 per ha
(c)
Bracken control supplement
Controlling dense bracken
£185 per ha
(d)
Control of invasive plant species supplement
Controlling invasive plant species
£347 per ha
(e)
Shepherding supplement
Introducing, re-introducing or making significant changes to shepherding
£9 per ha
(f)
Cattle grazing supplement
Cattle grazing for conservation purposes
£45 per ha
(g)
Introduction of cattle grazing on the Isles of Scilly
Introduction of conservation grazing on the Isles of Scilly on land that is not currently grazed by cattle
£279 per ha
(h)
Native breeds at risk supplement
Grazing native breeds at risk
£167 per ha
(i)
Threatened species supplement
Additional habitat management for named Priority Species
£171 per ha
(j)
Administration of group managed agreements supplement
Administering agreements with shared tenure
£6.07 per ha
15. Educational access
(a)
Education access
Permitting and making provision for access to farm land for educational visits
£318 per visit
”

## Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)
These Regulations further amend the Countryside Stewardship (England) Regulations 2020 (“the 2020 Regulations”) (S.I. 2020/41) and are made pursuant to section 98 of the Environment Act 1995 (c. 25).
Regulation 2 amends, with effect from 13th March 2023, the maximum payment rates per agreement year for management activities carried out as part of a countryside stewardship agreement under regulation 3 of the 2020 Regulations.
A full impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as no, or no significant, impact on the private, voluntary or public sector is foreseen.

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2023/159 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/countryside-stewardship-england-amendment-regulations-2023
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.