Environmental Land Management (ELM)

The Environmental Land Management (ELM) Scheme, is designed to help the Government deliver on its 25-year environmental plan, it will be split into three components, the Sustainable Farming Incentive, Local Nature Recovery and Landscape Recovery.

The components are currently in the trial phase, with rollout planned for the Sustainable Farming Incentive from 2022 to 2024 and Local Nature Recovery and Landscape Recovery from 2024.
Under the schemes, farmers and landowners will be encouraged to provide public goods such as thriving plants and wildlife, clean and plentiful water, clean air and mitigation and adaptations to climate change.

Batcheller Monkhouse advises a wide range of clients from large traditional estates to smaller landowners, and we encourage all to take advantage of Countryside Stewardship Schemes to help manage grassland, arable and woodland, while we wait for ELM to be introduced. The schemes will be open for applications until 2023 for final agreements starting in 2024. The woodland schemes are open to applications all year round, while the Mid-Tier application window opens in February every year with a deadline of 30 July, February 2022 and February 2023 being the final two application years.

It is important to note that dates and criteria can change, and it is therefore imperative to take professional advice as soon as possible to avoid missing application deadlines. DEFRA has confirmed that those wishing to transfer to the new ELM scheme from 2024 will be able to do so without penalty.

Countryside Stewardship Schemes

Mid Tier -Detailed grant with significant land management options.

Higher Tier – For land that requires more complex management tailored to the individual site.

Wildlife Offers – Simplified Mid Tier agreements with limited options.

Capital Grants – Funding just capital items for boundaries, water quality and air quality.

Woodland Creation and Maintenance Grant – Grant to help with the creation of new woodland and the ongoing associated maintenance.

Woodland Tree Health – Capital grants to improve and restock woodland following tree health problems.

Woodland Management Plan – Provides landowners with a structured way to plan and organise the sustainable management of woodland.

Additional funding is available for those ‘Farming in Protected Landscapes’ such as AONBs and National Parks such as the High Weald, Farming in Protected Landscapes Programme
(highweald.org) , the South Downs, Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL) – South Downs National Park Authority, and the Surrey Hills Farming in Protected Landscapes.

The programme will fund projects that:

• Support nature recovery.
• Mitigate the impacts of climate change.
• Provide opportunities for people to discover, enjoy and understand the landscape and its cultural heritage.
• Support nature-friendly, sustainable farm businesses.

Additional schemes may be available with new funding streams being released, so whilst we do our best to keep our website up to date, please do contact us to discuss if we can help you.

Offices in Battle, Haywards Heath, Pulborough and Tunbridge Wells.