Paragraph 1
As regards all land which is the subject of the agreement, requirements to the effect that–
the farmer shall maintain grassland and shall not plough, level or reseed it, and shall not cultivate it except with a chain harrow or roller;
the farmer shall graze the land with cattle or sheep but not so as to cause poaching, undergrazing or overgrazing;
where the farmer cuts grass for hay or silage, he shall graze the aftermath;
the farmer shall not increase existing application rates of inorganic fertiliser and shall not in any event apply more than 75 kilogrammes of nitrogen, 37.5 kilogrammes of phosphate or 37.5 kilogrammes of potash per hectare of the land per year;
the farmer shall not increase existing application rates of organic fertiliser produced on his own farm and shall not apply any other organic fertiliser;
the farmer shall not apply fungicides or insecticides to the land;
the farmer shall not apply herbicides to the land except to control creeping buttercup, soft rush, nettles, spear thistle, creeping or field thistle, curled dock, broad-leaved dock or ragwort and if using herbicides for that purpose shall apply them by weed wiper or spot treatment;
the farmer shall not apply to the land lime, slag or any other substance designed to reduce the acidity of the soil;
the farmer shall not use a sub-soiler or tunnel plough, or install under-drainage or mole drainage, or otherwise substantially modify an existing drainage system;
the farmer shall maintain by mechanical means any existing field gutters, surface piping, rig and furrow, ditch or rhyne and shall not use herbicides to control plant growth therein, and shall not install any additional surface piping;
the farmer shall not use spray irrigation;
the farmer shall maintain existing hedges, trees and pollarded willows in accordance with local custom;
the farmer shall not plant any trees or allow the natural establishment of trees or bushes without the prior approval of the Minister;
the farmer shall not damage or destroy any feature of historic interest;
the farmer shall obtain from the Minister written advice on siting and materials before constructing buildings or roads or before undertaking any other engineering or construction operations which do not require prior determination as to the need for any approval by the local planning authority under Part 6 or 7 of Schedule 2 (permitted development) to the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995f1 or planning permission;
the farmer shall maintain existing gates with wing fencing but shall not erect any permanent fencing without the Minister’s prior approval;
the farmer shall maintain water levels in ditches and rhynes at or above the established penning level, fixed by reference to gauge boards set to Ordnance Datum Newlyn, from 1st April until 31st October in any given year and at or above the established winter level, fixed by reference to gauge boards set to Ordnance Datum Newlyn, from 1st November in any given year until the following 31st March and shall maintain a minimum level of 15 centimetres of water in the bottom of ditches and rhynes at all times.
Annotations
Footnotes
- f1