Changes to Countryside Stewardship Payment Rates

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The Rural Payments Agency has recently announced changes to the Countryside Stewardship Scheme payment rates, effective from 1st January 2022.

Robinson & Hall, Land and Property Professionals based in Bedfordshire share the changes…

If you have an agreement, or an application for an agreement which starts on or before 1st January 2022 then where the payment rate has:

·       increased, the new rate will be paid

·       decreased, the existing rate shown on the agreement will be paid

·       not changed, the existing rate shown on the agreement will be paid

For new agreements starting from 1st January 2023, all the new payment rates will apply.

The main payment rate changes are as detailed below:

Revenue Option

Revenue Option Title

Old Rate (£)

Rate for agreements starting on or
before 1st Jan 2022 (£)

Rate for agreements starting on or
after 1st Jan 2023 (£)

AB1

Nectar flower mix

511

579

579

AB2

Basic overwinter stubble

84

84

58

AB6

Enhanced overwinter stubble

436

493

493

AB8

Flower rich margins and plots

539

628

628

AB9

Winter bird food

640

640

640

AB12

Supplementary winter feeding for
farmland birds

632

657

657

AB15

Two year sown legume fallow

522

569

569

BE3

Management of hedgerows

8

9

9

GS2

Permanent grassland with very low
inputs (outside SDAs)

95

132

132

GS4

Legume and herb-rich swards

309

358

358

HS2

Take historic and archaeological
features currently on cultivated land out of cultivation

425

459

459

SW1

4 – 6m buffer strip on cultivated land

353

419

419

SW4

12 – 24m watercourse buffer strip on
cultivated land

512

578

578

 

The full list of changes can be found here.

There are no plans for the payment rates for capital items to be changed.

For more information or to find out how our Rural Property & Business department can help you, please contact 01234 352201 or email bedford@robinsonandhall.co.uk