Pennine Dales ESA
- Aims and objectives
- Background to the ESA
- Tier 1A - Arable and improved grassland
- Tier 1B - Meadows, pastures and allotments
- Tier 2A - Herb-rich meadows
- Tier 2B - Herb-rich pastures and allotments
- Tier 2C - Woodland
- Wall renovation supplement
Aims and objectives
1.The Pennine Dales ESA aims to maintain and enhance the traditional farmed landscape and associated wildlife and historic resources of the area by encouraging livestock farming systems which are beneficial to the wider environment.
2. Specific objectives are:
| Related tier(s) | |
|---|---|
| To maintain the nature conservation interest of the environmentally valuable hay meadows and enhance the meadows which have been under more intensive management. | 1B, 2A |
| To maintain and enhance the nature conservation interest of pastures and allotments. | 1B, 2B |
| To maintain and enhance the landscape, including characteristic elements such as traditional field boundaries and farm buildings. | All, inc. Wall Renovation Supplement |
| To maintain and enhance the nature conservation and landscape interest of small-scale native woodland and gills. | 2C & Gill Option |
| To protect archaeological and historic features. | All |
Background to the ESA
1.The ESA extends over almost 56,000 hectares and covers 26 dales in the mid and north Pennines. All land within the ESA has Less Favoured Area status. Grassland predominates and is used as both hay meadows and pasture. Agriculture is based on hill sheep, and to a lesser extent suckler herds and store cattle, with some dairying.
2.The Pennine Dales contain the most extensive and best examples of hay meadow communities, which are one of Britain's rarest and most fragile habitats. These meadows contain a wide diversity of flora and provide an important habitat for ground-nesting birds. At the higher elevations, the pastures are of national and international importance, particularly for breeding birds. Although each dale has its own landscape character, there is a strong unifying pattern of enclosure created by the traditional drystone walls and numerous stone built field barns. In addition, there is a wealth of archaeological interest, ranging from evidence of Iron Age cultural patterns and agricultural systems to buildings and mineral workings from more recent times.
3.Agricultural intensification posed a growing threat to traditional farming in the Dales, particularly from the 1970s. Changes involved drainage, re-seeding, increasing chemical fertiliser applications, and cutting meadows for silage rather than hay. Intensification also had an impact on the traditional features such as walls and field barns. All these changes were seen to threaten the environmental value and diversity of the Dales area.
4.The Pennine Dales ESA is a 'whole-farm' scheme which started in 1987. In 1992 it was extended and enlarged again when the revised scheme was introduced in 1997. Overall uptake at the end of 1998 was more than 36,000 hectares.
5.A priority objective is to secure the favourable management of the hay meadows, pastures and allotments. To ensure this, new provisions on Tier 1 have been introduced and are as follows:
- the requirement to implement a grazing management plan for allotment land, to improve the quality of the habitat and control disturbance in order to benefit, in particular, wading birds;
- amendments to the cutting dates of hay meadows, to more closely reflect traditional practices and to directly benefit ground-nesting birds;
- the acceptance of mineral spoil tips in to Tier 1 because they are interesting historic features and often support rare plants.
Tier 1A - Arable and improved grassland
Scheme Prescriptions
1. Do not exceed your existing application rate of inorganic or organic fertiliser.
2. Do not graze any land so as to cause poaching, over-grazing or under-grazing.
3. Dispose of sheep dip safely. Do not spread sheep dip where it may affect areas of nature conservation value.
4. Maintain stockproof walls and hedges in a stockproof condition using traditional materials.
5. Any weatherproof field barns which you own or are responsible for must be maintained in a weatherproof condition using traditional materials.
6. Do not damage or destroy any feature of historic interest.
7. Obtain written advice on siting and materials before constructing buildings, roads or any other engineering operations which do not require planning permission or prior notification determination by the Local Planning Authority.
8. Obtain written advice within two years on the management of existing woodland. Consult the Project Officer on proposals to plant any new woodland.
9. You must abide by the Codes of Good Agricultural Practice (Annex IVII) for the Protection of Water, Soil and Air, published by the Ministry (references PB 0587, PB 0617 and PB 0618) as amended from time to time
Agronomic Impact
1. The ceiling on fertiliser use is not considered to be significant for arable and improved and ley grassland. Most farmers have exploited the use of fertiliser to the limits they wish to employ or are likely to employ in the foreseeable future. The introduction of quotas also inhibits further intensification. Therefore, there is no economic consequence as a result of this prescription.
2. Cattle farmers are inclined to minimise the winter housing period by leaving dry cows outdoors in late autumn and turning out cattle in early spring. This practice can minimise the use of fodder, which is regarded by farmers as an item of significant cost. Also, farmers are keen to turn-out cattle in spring to limit disease problems associated with housing livestock e.g. pneumonia and calf scour. In order to avoid causing poaching or overgrazing farmers will have to house their cattle for longer with a resultant increase in labour and fodder costs.
3. No significant consequences for Income Forgone.
4. Generally, farmers attempt to maintain their walls and hedges in stockproof condition using traditional methods. However, as these are time consuming operations and paid labour is expensive, it is cheaper to erect fencing. Therefore, as scheme participants are required to maintain all their stockproof boundaries in a traditional manner, there is an extra cost incurred. Nevertheless, the calculation allows for the fact that some traditional maintenance work would be continued without participation in the ESA scheme.
5. Relates to owner/occupiers and to tenants who have responsibility for maintaining buildings. The prescription refers to barns but ESA agreements include all traditional buildings in this context. The requirement to use traditional materials and methods will result in an increase in cost over normal practices.
6. No significant consequences for Income Forgone.
7. No significant consequences for Income Forgone.
8. No significant consequences for Income Forgone as this advice is usually available locally without charge from forestry contractors.
9. No significant consequences for Income Forgone.
| Management implication £/ha | Extra cost | Adjusted cost for Tier 1A 1 |
|---|---|---|
| Extended cattle housing period | 2 | 2 |
| Maintenance of traditional buildings 2 | 10 | 3 |
| Maintenance of stockproof walls and hedges 3 , 4 | 25 | 19 |
| Total | 37 | 24 |
| 1As the prescriptions under this tier apply to all the tiers in the ESA, the calculation of extra costs per hectare has been related to all the categories of land involved in the scheme. The calculations have been subsequently adjusted to reflect the particular conditions relating to the Arable & Improved Grassland tier. | ||
- Uptake Targets to January 2001
- 1,440 hectares
- Income Forgone
- £24 /ha
- Current Payment Rate
- £20/ ha
- Level of Incentive
- N/A
- Justification of Incentive
- N/A
Tier 1B - Meadows, pastures and allotments
Scheme Prescriptions
You must observe prescriptions 1-9 plus additional prescriptions set out below:
10. Maintain grassland and do not plough, level or re-seed the land. Cultivate meadows only with a chain harrow or roller and as early as possible in the spring as soon as stock are re-housed. Harrowing and rolling may not be carried out in pastures or allotments between 1 April and 15 July.
11. Land to be managed as meadow must be identified on your contract map and must continue to be managed as such for the length of your agreement.
12. Exclude stock from meadows at least seven weeks before the first cut for hay or silage and by 1 June at the latest.
13. Do not cut grass for hay or silage in any year before 8 July. All meadows must have their first cut after 22 July at least once every five years or 20 per cent of meadows must be nominated to be cut after 22 July every year for the length of your agreement. The aftermath on all meadows must be grazed.
14. You must indicate your proposed programme for late cutting on your agreement map.
15. If you cut grass for silage, wilt and turn it before removal and graze the aftermath.
16. Do not exceed your existing level of inorganic fertiliser and in any case do not exceed 25kg of nitrogen, 12.5kg or phosphate and 12.5kg of potash per hectare per year or the equivalent in artificial organic fertiliser. This must be applied in one application.
17. Do not apply slurry or poultry manure.
18. Do not disturb or remove materials from mineral spoil tips.
19. When disposing of Dirty Water from a specific modern Dirty Water collection system avoid applying to areas identified on your contract map by the Project Officer.
20. Do not exceed your existing level of farm yard manure application on any fields. In any case do not use more than 12.5 tonnes of farm yard manure per hectare (5 tons per acre) per year and apply in a single dressing. Farm yard manure produced off farm may only be used with the prior written approval of the Project Officer and must be well-rotted.
21. Do not use fungicides and insecticides.
22. Do not apply herbicides except to control bracken, nettles, spear thistle, creeping or field thistle, curled dock, broad-leaved dock or ragwort.
23. When applying herbicides always use a weed wiper or spot treatment. Where bracken cannot be controlled by mechanical means, asulam must be used.
24. Do not cut or spray existing areas of rushes in pastures or allotments.
25. Do not apply lime, slag or any other substance to reduce soil acidity to pastures or allotments. You may apply lime to meadows at a rate of up to 5 tonnes per hectare (2 tons per acre) and at intervals of not less than every 8 years (or subject to a requirement being shown by a soil test).
26. Do not install any new drainage system or substantially modify any existing drainage system.
27. Do not apply inorganic or organic fertilisers to allotment land identified on your contract map.
28. For allotments identified on your contract map agree a written grazing management plan with the Project Officer. In addition you must not exceed your current overall stocking rate.
Agronomic Impact
10. No significant consequences for Income Forgone.
11. No significant consequences for Income Forgone.
12. No significant consequences for Income Forgone.
13. Cutting dates reduce flexibility of harvesting hay or silage resulting in loss of quality (Meadows). In some years, the delay may allow bad weather to spoil a proportion of the harvest. The later cutting date will reduce the quality and quantity of aftermath grazing requiring the purchase of additional feed.
14. No significant consequences for Income Forgone.
15. No significant consequences for Income Forgone.
16. Restrictions on the use of fertiliser limit yields and quality of hay and silage and aftermath grazing (Meadows). Where fertiliser is reduced there will be savings in fertiliser and application costs.
Also, the potential for intensification and improved sheep performance (Meadows, Pastures and Allotments) will be curtailed.
17. No significant consequences for Income Forgone.
18. No significant consequences for Income Forgone.
19. No significant consequences for Income Forgone.
20. No significant consequences for Income Forgone.
21. No significant consequences for Income Forgone.
22. The presumption against the use of boom spraying of herbicide to control weeds increases the cost of weed control because of the increased use of wick applicators which are more expensive to employ (Meadows, Pastures and Allotments).
23. No significant consequences for Income Forgone.
24. Without control areas of rushes will gradually increase in size and reduce the grazing area. However, the economic loss caused by this slow encroachment, when offset by the savings in labour and/or chemicals results in a figure too small to be of significance.
25. No significant consequences for Income Forgone.
26. No significant consequences for Income Forgone.
27. No significant consequences for Income Forgone as this land would normally be fertilised.
28. Allotments are subject to agreements on grazing management which are likely to result in a reduction in the level of stocking (Allotments).
Guidelines to Project Officers indicate that the stocking rate in spring should be limited to 0.38 Livestock Units per hectare from 1 April to 15 July and there should be no cattle grazing during the period April to June. This will result in a loss of gross margin and the extra costs associated with providing alternative grazing. The reduced stocking rate will give rise to savings in overhead costs (labour and interest on working capital). Leasing out surplus quota will provide additional income.
| £/ha | Loss | Gain |
|---|---|---|
| Extra Income | - | None |
| Costs Saved | - | |
| Fertiliser in spring for hay crop. | 16 | |
| Fertiliser on aftermath. | 8 | |
| Re opportunity to intensify, saving of interest charges and fertiliser. | 10 | |
| Sub-total | 34 | |
| Income Lost | - | |
| Penalty on lamb sales following loss of aftermath grazing. | 15 | |
| Lost opportunity to intensify - sheep gross margin less value of leasing quota. | 29 | |
| Sub-total | 44 | |
| Extra Costs | - | |
| Purchase hay to correct shortfall in yield and spoiled crop. | 80 | |
| Purchase food supplement to balance loss of hay quality. | 18 | |
| Weed control. | 2 | |
| Sub-total | 100 | |
| Total | 144 | 34 |
| Income Forgone Change | 110 | |
| Plus income change from observing Tier 1A prescriptions. | 37 | |
| Total | 147 |
- Uptake Targets to January 2001
- 6,290 hectares
- Income Forgone
- £147/ ha
- Current Payment Rate
- £150/ ha
- Level of Incentive
- 2%
- Justification for Incentive
- Joint justification for Tier 1B follows later.
| £/ha | Loss | Gain |
|---|---|---|
| Extra Income | - | None |
| Costs Saved | - | |
| Re opportunity to intensify, saving on interest on capital and fertiliser cost. | 10 | |
| Food cost - limitation on lambing rate | 1 | |
| Sub-total | 11 | |
| Income Lost | - | |
| Lost opportunity to intensify with sheep. Gross Margin less value of leasing quota. | 29 | |
| Poorer lamb growth rates. | 5 | |
| Limitation on lambing rate. | 7 | |
| Sub-total | 41 | |
| Extra Costs | - | |
| Weed control | 2 | |
| Sub-total | 2 | |
| Total | 43 | 11 |
| Income Forgone Change | 32 | |
| Plus income change from observing Tier 1A prescriptions. | 37 | |
| Total | 69 |
- Uptake Targets to January 2001
- 27,270 hectares (combined figure for pasture and allotment tiers)
- Income Forgone
- £69 (combined figure for pasture and allotment tiers)
- Current Payment
- £82
- Level of Incentive
- 19%
- Justification for Incentive
- Joint justification for Tier 1B follows to follow later.
| £/ha | Loss | Gain |
|---|---|---|
| Extra Income | - | None |
| Costs Saved | - | |
| Re-opportunity to intensify saving on interest on capital and fertiliser. | 5 | |
| Land improvement. | 4 | |
| Sub-total | 9 | |
| Income Lost | - | |
| Loss of opportunity to intensify with sheep. Gross Margin less value of quota leased. | 15 | |
| Reduced lambing rate ) Poorer lamb growth rate) | 7 | |
| Sub-total | 22 | |
| Extra Costs | - | |
| Extra food and bedding for housed cattle in spring. | 12 | |
| Extra food for sheep in spring. | 6 | |
| Weed control | 1 | |
| Sub-total | 19 | |
| Total | 41 | 9 |
| Income Forgone Change | 32 | |
| Plus income change from observing Tier 1A prescriptions. | 37 | |
| Total | 69 |
- Uptake Targets to January 2001
- 27,270 hectares (combined figure for pasture and allotment tiers)
- Income Forgone
- £69/ha (combined figure for pasture and allotment tiers)
- Current Payment
- £82/ha
- Level of Incentive
- 19%
- Justification for Incentive
- Nearly 90% of total Pennine Dales ESA area payments relate to Tier 1B Meadows, Pastures & Allotments.
Given the environmental significance of this tier in maintaining the key northern hay meadow habitat, it was is considered important to increase this payment moderately above its present level.
Tier 1B - Pastures & Allotments - together account for almost two-thirds of total ESA payments and any substantial reduction in payments would have represented a severe financial blow to agreement holders, who are primarily small hill farmers and whose incomes have, in general, declined very sharply over the past two years.
A large payment cut would have provoked much negative publicity which might have deterred potential applicants, . This could deter potential applicants, not just to the ESA but also to Countryside Stewardship and any future agri-environment schemes. A large reduction in payments would also have jeopardised future uptake of Tier 1B allotments into the ESA scheme. Farmers in this tier are asked to accept significant restrictions on their grazing management to benefit, in particular, habitat for national Biodiversity Action Plan priority species including breeding waders and black grouse.
Tier 2A - Herb-rich meadows
Scheme Prescriptions
You must observe prescriptions 1-28 plus additional prescriptions set out below:
29. Stock must be excluded from meadow land by 15 May.
30. Do not apply inorganic or artificial organic fertiliser.
31. All meadows must be cut and the crop removed. They must not be cut for hay before 15 July. The crop may be cut for silage but not before 22 July.
Agronomic Impact
29. Reduction of spring grazing because of earlier stock exclusion dates as compared with Tier 1 Meadows.
30. Further loss of hay/silage yields and quality (as no fertiliser permitted and later cutting date).
Further loss of aftermath grazing (i.e. less grazing available), because of reduction in the use of fertiliser to zero.
31. No significant consequences for Income Forgone.
| £/ha | Loss | Gain |
|---|---|---|
| Extra Income | - | None |
| Costs Saved | - | |
| Fertiliser and interest on working capital | 16 | |
| Sub-total | 16 | |
| Income Lost | None | - |
| Extra Costs | - | |
| Additional food for sheep (loss of spring grazing) | 5 | |
| Purchased hay (further loss of yield) | 70 | |
| Supplement (further loss of quality) | 15 | |
| Grass keep for lambs | 18 | |
| Sub-total | 108 | |
| Total | 108 | 16 |
| Income Forgone Change | 92 | |
| Plus income change from observing Tier 1B prescriptions (Meadows). | 147 | |
| Total | 239 |
- Uptake Targets to January 2001
- 1,565 hectares
- Income Forgone
- £239/ ha
- Current Payment Rate
- £250/ ha
- Level of incentive
- 5%
- Justification for Incentive
- It was considered is recommended that the payment rate be maintained at the current level. The restrictions on management mean that many farmers are reluctant to commit themselves to enter their meadows into Tier 2A, but this Tier is very important in achieving ESA Objectives and conserving national and local BAP priority habitats e.g. Northern Hay Meadow plant communities (national priority) and the ground nesting yellow wagtail (local priority). It will be is important to maintain current payment levels in order to achieve the Tier's uptake target and to protect the credibility of this higher tier option.
Tier 2B - Herb-rich pastures and allotments
Scheme Prescriptions
You must observe prescriptions 1-28 plus additional prescriptions set out below:
32. Agree with the Project Officer a written programme of grassland management to enhance the nature conservation value of herb-rich grassland. This will involve an agreement not to apply any organic or inorganic fertiliser.
33. Your programme must include a continuous 8 week period in the period 1 April to 31 July when only light (less than 0.15 Livestock Units per hectare) or no grazing will be permitted. Do not exceed an overall stocking rate of 0.3 livestock units per hectare at any time.
Agronomic Impact
32. Observation of Tier 1 Prescriptions as calculated under Allotments (Tier 1B).
33. In order to meet a low level of grazing, similar to those existing on grass fells, significant reductions in sheep numbers would be required, particularly during April-May (post lambing) and tupping time during October-November when hill ewes would normally be placed on pastures and allotments for these operations. It is assumed that the reduction in the level of stocking will be made by decreasing the number of draft ewes kept on the holding, rather than reducing the size of the hill flock.
Higher cost of vegetation management. In some situations, participation in this tier will require some blocking of open ditches, control of bracken and rush in order to maintain or enhance wildlife habitats.
| £/ha | Loss | Gain |
|---|---|---|
| Extra income | - | None |
| Costs Saved | - | |
| Reduction/reduced potential of stocking sheep - interest on capital. | 3 | |
| Sub-total | 3 | |
| Income lost | - | |
| Reduction in ewe numbers - gross margin less quota lease. | 53 | |
| Sub-total | 53 | |
| Extra Costs | - | |
| Rush control. | 3 | |
| Sub-total | 3 | |
| Total | 56 | 3 |
| Income forgone | 53 | |
| Plus income change from observing Tier 1B prescriptions (Allotments). | 68 | |
| Total | 121 |
- Uptake Targets to January 2001
- 165 hectares
- Income Forgone
- £121/ ha
- Current Payment Rate
- £145/ha
- Level of Incentive
- 120% 20%
- Justification of Incentive
- Tier 2B is of particular importance in its contribution to ESA Objectives and Biodiversity Action Plans including national habitat priorities (limestone pavement, purple moor grass/rush pasture and upland calcareous grassland). Tier 2B Pasture areas usually comprise only a small proportion of total pasture under agreement. Farmers are often reluctant to accept the additional complications of complying with the Tier 2 prescription on small areas (for which they therefore receive only modest payments). It was is strongly felt that uptake targets for Tier 2B will would not be achieved if there was is a payment reduction.
Tier 2C - Woodland
Scheme Prescriptions
In addition to the requirement to obtain woodland advice you may also agree a programme of woodland enhancement for all or some of your woodland.
34. Agree a programme of woodland management in writing with the Project Officer to enhance the nature conservation and landscape value of native woodland. This will involve making and keeping the woodland stockproof and carrying out an ongoing programme of woodland management.
Agronomic Impact
34. There is a conflict of interest between protecting and enhancing the wildlife value of woodland by enclosure and the valued use of such woodland for grazing and shelter of livestock.
The main implications of participation in this tier is as follows:
- Sheep mortality as a result of loss of shelter;
- Cost of extra hay required as a result of loss of winter grazing by sheep;
- Cost of fencing to make the woodland stockproof;
- Cost of managing woodland.
| £/ha | Loss | Gain |
|---|---|---|
| Extra income | - | None |
| Costs Saved | - | None |
| Income lost | - | |
| Ewes and lamb mortality | 66 | |
| Sub-total | 66 | |
| Extra Costs | - | |
| Additional hay | 20 | |
| Cost of enclosure by fencing | 70 | |
| Woodland management | 48 | |
| Sub-total | 138 | |
| Total | 204 | None |
| Income forgone | 204 |
- Uptake Targets to January 2001
- 70 hectares
- Income Forgone
- £204/ ha
- Current Payment Rate
- £200/ ha
- Level of Incentive
- N/A
- Justification for Incentive
- N/A
Wall renovation supplement
Scheme Prescriptions
35. Agree and implement a 5-year programme for the renovation of dry stone walls. This will involve the rebuilding of gaps to make non-stockproof walls stockproof or the dismantling and rebuilding of stockproof walling in poor condition. In all cases the material must be cleaved down to the foundations before being rebuilt. Payment will be calculated on the basis of the actual length of walling renovated in each year, up to a maximum of 10 metres per hectare of agreement land in each year.
Agronomic Impact
35. Potential costs incurred in employing additional labour to undertake work.
| £/ha | Loss | Gain |
|---|---|---|
| Extra income | - | None |
| Costs Saved | - | None |
| Income lost | None |
- |
| Extra Costs |
- |
|
| Cost of contractor - £19.0017.50 per metre (80% in line with Conservation Plan grant) 1 | 1514 | |
| Supplementary cost for additional stone (outside Conservation Plan grant) for maintenance of taller, more inaccessible walls | 4 | |
| Sub-total | 1914 | |
| Total | 1914 | None |
| Income Forgone | 1914 |
- Uptake Targets to January 2001
- 29,000 metres
- Income Forgone
- £19 per metre (see below)
- Current Payment Rate
- £15 per metre
- Level of Incentive
- N/A
- Justification of Incentive
- N/A
Whilst the cost of walling around meadows and pastures in the Northern Dales has remained the same as in previous years, the advent of Allotments (following a five year review of this ESA in 1996) and higher demand for walking in the Southern Dales (for amenity as well as for agricultural purposes) have increased the average cost to £19 per metre. This figure has therefore been used as the accurate Income Forgone figure.
Page last modified:
17 August, 2005
Page published: 10 December, 2002