Rostons are aware of potential changes to Countryside Stewardship Applications and Grants.
The proposed changes include the very popular standalone water capital items grant being removed from Countryside Stewardship and merged with the Hedgerows and Boundaries Grant to form a new Capital Scheme, further details of which include timescales for applications are yet to be released.
Under the new Capital Scheme, capital items are grouped into water quality, air quality and boundary features with the amount that can be applied for capped at £20,000 per category.
This is a dramatic increase in funding levels when compared with the maximum £10,000 available to applicants who have applied in previous years. Capital items included within a 5-year Countryside Stewardship Agreement will be capped at £120,000 for water quality, £120,000 for air quality and £50,000 on boundary items, again a significant increase.
Georgina Simonds stated ‘Countryside Stewardship and Grant Funding provide excellent opportunities and additional income streams for landowners, particularly with future subsidy schemes confirmed as having an environmental focus. Countryside Stewardship and associated Grants will re-open to applicants in February 2021, with funding for the scheme confirmed until 2024’.