What the action involves
This action’s aim is that there’s grassland which produces a sward with:
- flowering grasses and wildflowers from late spring and during the summer months
- a variety of plant heights by autumn
- some covering of flowering grasses and wildflowers left to go to seed
- tussocky grass allowed to develop
The purpose of this is to:
- provide nectar and shelter for invertebrates and a food supply for farmland birds
- support an integrated pest management approach if located close to cropped areas
- minimise nutrients being carried in surface water runoff to watercourses
What you must do
Your Natural England adviser will assess your land. They’ll work with you to adapt and agree the activities you must do to achieve this action’s aim. All mandatory activities will be set out in your agreement document.
To get paid for this action, you must:
- manage by grazing with livestock or cutting for hay or silage. All cuttings must be removed
- only apply fertilisers or manures at rates agreed with your Natural England adviser in years when the grassland is cut for hay, haylage, or silage
- maintain a sward with different heights during the growing season
- prevent additional scrub encroachment on historic or archaeological features
- reduce bare ground, so the soil is covered by vegetation and is not exposed to the elements
The advice you’re given from Natural England is specific to your land which means (where relevant) you may also need to:
- top the grass as agreed with your Natural England adviser
- maintain a soil pH and lime as agreed with your Natural England adviser
- control dense areas of rush
- retain areas of well-established scrub
- leave an uncut margin around the edge of the area entered into this action when it’s cut for conserved forage – this helps provide shelter for invertebrates
You must not:
- increase the rate of fertiliser or manure application from current levels
- carry out drainage works, including modifying existing drainage, without written permission from Natural England
- harrow or roll on historic or archaeological features
- allow the encroachment of scrub on historic or archaeological features
- plough, cultivate or re-seed
- apply pesticides – you may be able to use herbicides to spot-treat or weed-wipe for the control of injurious weeds, invasive non-native plant species, nettles or other plants if this has been agreed with your Natural England adviser
- carry out mechanical operations or other activities that may cause significant disturbance to birds during the breeding season or the autumn and winter (this does not include ditch maintenance)
- supplementary feed unless agreed with your Natural England adviser
When to do it
You must do this action each year of its duration.
Evidence to keep
You must keep evidence to show what you have done to complete this action. If it’s not clear that you have done this action in a way that could reasonably be expected to achieve its aim, the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) may ask for this evidence.
You must supply the evidence if they ask for it, including:
- field operations at a land parcel level
- associated invoices
- photographs
The same action appears in the other schemes under a different code. The work is broadly the same; the rate and the length of the commitment are not.
Where you can do it
You can do this action on eligible land that’s located below the moorland line.
Eligible land
You can do this action on land that’s:
- an eligible land type
- registered with an eligible land cover on your digital maps
- declared with a land use code which is compatible with the eligible land cover
Available area
Total or part of the available area in the land parcel.
Rotational or static
This action is static. This means you must do it on the same location each year of the action’s duration.
Consents and permissions
To apply for this action, you’ll need:
- Scheduled Monument Consent from Historic England for any work on scheduled monuments
- consent from Natural England for any activity on land designated as a site of special scientific interest (SSSI)
You may need to:
- agree an implementation plan or feasibility study with your Natural England adviser
- get advice from your Forestry Commission woodland officer or Natural England adviser if you have other historic or archaeological features on your agreement land
- get a wildlife licence from Natural England if your activities affect a protected species or their habitat
All historic and archaeological features (including scheduled monuments) are identified in your Historic Environment Farm Environment Record (HEFER).
If you’re a tenant, it’s your responsibility to check whether your tenancy agreement allows you to complete what’s required in the actions you choose. You may need your landlord’s consent.
Capital grants that support it
If you need to complete an implementation plan or a feasibility study before you apply, you can apply for capital grants plans funding.
You can also apply for capital items to help you achieve the action’s aims. Your Natural England adviser will discuss eligible capital items with you.
