Countryside Stewardship replaced Environmental Stewardship (ELS, OELS, HLS etc) in 2015. It provides incentives for farmers, foresters and land managers to protect and enhance the natural environment, in particular wildlife diversity and water quality.

The scheme is open for applications in 2017.

If you are considering applying for a Mid Tier or Higher Tier Countryside Stewardship agreement or are interested in any of the capital grants available under the scheme such as for restoring hedgerows and boundaries, writing woodland plans or accessing water capital grants to reduce diffuse pollution, please call or email Helen Pengelly for further information.

• The scheme is open to all farmers, woodland owners, foresters and other land managers through a competitive process.
• Targeting and scoring encourages applicants to choose management options that address environmental priorities in their local area
• There are 3 tiers Higher Tier, Mid Tier and Capital Grants.
• Mid tier Countryside Stewardship agreements provide annual payments, usually for 5 years, for improvements in the wider countryside
• Higher tier Countryside Stewardship agreements provide annual payments for the most environmentally significant sites and for woodlands.
• Capital grants provide 2 year grants for works such as hedgerow and boundary restoration, implementation plans and infrastructure improvements that reduce pollution.
• Countryside Stewardship also provides support for organic conversion and management.
• The scheme has annual application windows which close on 30th September each year.
• Successful applications have an annual agreement start date of 1st January each year.
• Applicants wishing to be considered for Higher Tier Countryside must submit an 'expression of interest' to Natural England by 30th April each year.
• Land which is already under an existing 'live' agreement including HLS, ELS, OELS and EWGS cannot be entered into a Countryside Stewardship application.
• Early transfer or conversion from ELS or HLS to Mid tier Countryside Stewardship is not possible. Early transfer or conversion to Higher tier is only possible under exceptional circumstances.