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Shropshire Hills ESA

Aims and objectives

1. The Shropshire Hills ESA aims to protect and enhance the traditional and historic interest of the area by encouraging beneficial agricultural and land management practices.

2. Specific objectives are:

    Related tier(s)
1. To maintain and enhance the landscape quality and nature conservation interest of open moorland and permanent grassland. 1B, 1C, 1D, inc. supplements
2. To enhance the nature conservation interest of heather moorland vegetation. 2
3. To maintain and enhance the traditional landscape quality through the management of important elements such as traditional field boundaries and farm buildings. All, inc. hedgerow supplement
4. To protect archaeological and historic features. All
5. To maintain and enhance the nature conservation and landscape interest of small-scale native woodland. 1A, Woodland

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Background to the ESA

1. The Shropshire Hills ESA covers an area of 38,500 hectares in the south of the County. It comprises two discrete areas, each of which contains a core of upland habitat. They are separated by Ape Dale, Corve Dale and the Wenlock Edge escarpment. The northern part of the ESA includes the Stiperstones, the Long Mynd and the Stretton Hills, whilst the southern part is centred on the Clee Hills. The land use has traditionally consisted of a mixture of beef cattle and sheep grazing. Dairy herds are localised and arable cropping occurs principally to produce grain for home-consumption and as refreshment management for worn pastures (except at the boundaries of the ESA).

2. A variety of habitats can be found in the ESA. Unenclosed moorland, semi-natural grassland, broad-leaved woodland, rivers and streams are amongst the important semi-natural habitats. The moorlands are notable floristically through the coincidence of a number of northern and southern species, and the occurrence of communities at the edge of their geographical range. The moors are also important at a regional level for their populations of moorland birds. Much of the grassland has been improved, with only remnants of semi-natural vegetation surviving in the unenclosed acid grasslands of the moorland and the traditionally-managed neutral hay meadows and pastures. There are 26 Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs), one National Nature Reserve (NNR) and a range of local designations. The area has been inhabited since ancient times and is rich in historical features dating back to prehistoric times. Prominent hill forts, earthworks and ancient field systems are found throughout the ESA, with the remains of more recent mining activities in the Clee Hills and around Pennerley and Shelve.

3. Changes in farming practices, including both intensive management and lack of management have threatened the value of the area. On parts of the moorland over-grazing, supplementary feeding of livestock and inappropriate (moorland) burning have occurred, whilst in other areas under-grazing, reduced bracken control and insufficient moorland management have been a problem. Neglect of woodlands and the dereliction of hedges and traditional buildings have also taken place. Prior to designation many areas of permanent grassland were ploughed up or intensified. The continuing threat was the main reason for the designation of the ESA. This is a ´whole-farm' scheme which started in 1994. A revised scheme washas been introduced in 1999 and uptake at the end of 1998 was approximately 16,080 hectares.

4. A priority objective is to maintain and enhance the landscape and nature conservation interest of the open moorland and permanent grassland (Tiers 1B, 1C, 1D & 2). For grassland, the tiers have been modified to impose greater control over the use of supplementary feeding and, via the Hay Meadow Supplement, to permit grazing rather than mowing one year in five (which is believed to be closer to the traditional management cycle). In addition, for Tier 1C, there are changes to the rules restrictions governing the application of farmyard manure and lime to hay meadows. For the moorland (Tier 1D) there is a strengthening of the requirement to agree a Moorland Management Plan including to cover burning and the management of other semi-natural vegetation. For all of these tiers and Tier 1A there is a new Wet Area Supplement for the creation of wet areas and prohibition of stock grazing between 1 April and 30 June, to benefit ground nesting birds.

5. The environmental enhancement of the moorland and grassland is also encouraged through the introduction of two new supplements. On the grassland, reduced stocking rates aim to enhance sward diversity, whilst on the moorland reduced winter stocking levels are imposed when the vegetation is most sensitive to grazing pressure. In addition, a new Commons Supplement has been introduced to helps cover the administrative costs of setting up a common moorland agreement and to subsidise the stocking rate reduction which is necessary to comply with ESA prescriptions.

All tiers aim to protect the landscape and its characteristic elements and historic features.

6. In Tier 1A the management of scrub and rushes has become more focused, bracken can be controlled by alternative approved chemicals (in particular the non-specific herbicide glyphosate) and the tier has been enhanced to affords greater protection of historic features.

7. There are species-rich hedgerows throughout the ESA and the hedgerow management requirements of the scheme support biodiversity as well as landscape objectives. The arrangements for the Hedgerow Management Supplement have been simplified to make the programme easier to administer. In addition there is now a provision to positively manage hedgerow trees under an agreed programme. These arrangements changes seek to improve the effectiveness of hedgerow management in the ESA.

8. Throughout the ESA, the opportunity to enhance the landscape elements, such as field boundaries, traditional farm buildings and historic features, can be achieved through the Conservation Plans.

9. In addition to the provision in Tier 1A, there is a new woodland tier to encourage positive management and natural regeneration of small native woodlands, including upland oakwood, which is a Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) priority habitat.

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Tier 1A - All land

Scheme Prescriptions

1. Do not increase your existing area of arable without the Ministry's prior written approval.

2. Do not increase your existing application rates of organic or inorganic fertiliser.

3. Do not apply organic fertiliser within 50 metres of a spring, well or borehole that supplies water for human consumption or within 10 metres of any watercourse.

4. Retain hedges, walls and banks and do not remove any part thereof.

5. Maintain stockproof hedges, walls and banks in a stockproof condition using traditional materials.

6. Do not plough or apply pesticides or fertilisers on land within 1 metre of any hedge, wall or bank.

7. For a supplementary payment you MAY agree a programme to manage stockproof or non-stockproof hedges in the traditional manner (including laying). Payment will be calculated on the basis of every metre of hedge managed in each year. As part of the management programme, you must agree in writing with the Project Officer and implement a programme for the selection and tagging of saplings or the planting of hedgerow trees to ensure an average of one tree per 50 metres. Do not damage or remove tagged or planted trees, in particular during hedge trimming.

8. Maintain existing watercourses, ditches, ponds and wetland for which you are responsible (including margins and banks) and carry out any necessary management by mechanical means, not pesticides.

9. Do not install any new land drainage system or modify any existing land drainage system so as to bring about improved drainage.

10. Retain and, where necessary, manage all individual and groups of trees for which you are responsible; agree in writing with the Project Officer and implement a programme to conserve and protect areas of non net-income generating woodland. These will be identified on the agreement map and will receive payment at the All land rate. Seek prior written approval from the Ministry before planting any new woodland or trees.

11. Within the first 12 months of your agreement agree in writing with the Project Officer and implement a programme of scrub and rush management.

12. Any bracken control must be carried out in accordance with a programme agreed in advance with the Project Officer and any other consents obtained. Where bracken cannot be controlled by mechanical means and the use of a herbicide is necessary, only asulam may be used where application is by means of a boom sprayer (including aerial application). Other herbicides and application methods may be used only in agreement with the Project Officer.

13. Do not infill natural depressions or level mounds.

14. Maintain any weatherproof traditional farm buildings for which you are responsible in a weatherproof condition using traditional styles and materials.

15. Do not damage, destroy or remove any feature of archaeological or historic value or interest.

16. At the start of your agreement obtain written advice on the management of known archaeological and historic features on your land. Where standard advice on agricultural management is provided this should be implemented within 12 months. Where more specific advice is required this should be obtained within the first 12 months of your agreement and appropriate advice implemented within two years.

17. Dispose of sheep dip safely. Do not spread sheep dip where it may affect areas of nature conservation value.

18. Obtain written advice on siting, design and materials before constructing buildings or roads or carrying out any other engineering or construction works which do not require planning permission or prior notification determination by the Local Planning Authority.

19. You must identify on your application any common land within the ESA where you have grazing rights. Where common land is not subject to agreement you must not remove stock from agreement land to the common land to comply with the stocking prescriptions. You may, however, continue to carry out normal stock movements.

20. You must abide by the Codes of Good Agricultural Practice (Annex IVII) for the Protection of Soil, Air and Water, published by the Ministry (references PB 0617, PB 0618 and PB 0585) as amended from time to time.

Agronomic Impact

1.- 4.No significant consequences for income forgone.

5.There are very few stockproof walls or banks in the Shropshire Hills. Stockproof hedges will have to be maintained by hedge trimming, protective fencing, rotational laying and, when necessary, gapping up. Most of these hedges are already combined with a fence which provides adequate stock-proofing and in times of relative economic hardship the hedges themselves will not be maintained due to the high cost of carrying out such work.

6.Currently some arable fields are ploughed, sprayed or fertilised right up to the hedge bottom. Approximately 1 metre of cropping will be lost around field margins as a result of this prescription. However the effect on Income Forgone is so small it has been excluded from the calculations.

7.The Income Forgone calculation for this supplement is shown in the separate section dealing with the Hedgerow Management Supplement. Additional requirements introduced following the Policy Review have no significant consequence on the calculation of Income Forgone.

Of the hedges which require restoration, 70% will require laying. This is a specialist job and a contractor will almost always be employed. Coppicing which will be carried out on about 30% of land and gapping up (40%) is also frequently carried out by a contractor. Most hedges will also require back-fencing and approximately 70% will 'require' a secondary protective fence. This will normally be erected using farm labour but is still an additional expense.

The management and economic implications of the additional requirements for this supplement are similar to those for the original version except that the cost will be increased by the need to select and tag saplings or to plant hedgerow trees. It is believed that in 60% of cases there will not be suitable saplings available and therefore new trees will have to be planted. These will normally be small 'whips' which will establish better than more Mature specimens. The cost of this per metre of hedge to be restored will be insignificant and therefore the Income Forgone can be assumed to be the same as that under the supplement for existing hedges.

8.There will be an additional cost associated with the maintenance of ditches, watercourse and ponds which are currently often neglected. There will be no additional costs associated with the use of mechanical means as opposed to pesticides since few farmers currently use pesticides for this purpose.

9.This is not generally a disadvantage to farmers with land in Tiers 1A and 1B who have already completed all the drainage they wish to do. However drainage of extensive permanent pasture with a mole plough would occur on about 5% of the 1C land if it was not under ESA agreement. The cost of this is £53/ha or £13/ha when amortised over 5 years at 7%. This work would have resulted in a small increase in the stock-carrying capacity of the land of about 0.2 GLUs/ha from 0.7 to 0.9 GLUs. The resulting increase in Gross Margin would have more than compensated for the cost of the drainage.

10. There will be a small cost associated with the management of individual and small groups of trees. There will also be a cost associated with implementing a programme to conserve and protect non net-income generating woodland. This may involve fencing boundaries, the cost of which will not be fully met by conservation plan grants.

11 The implementation of a scrub and rush management plan will, in some cases, result in additional costs to the farmer because such areas are often not currently managed. The areas involved will generally only be small and it has therefore not been included in the calculation of the income forgone.

12,13 No significant consequences for income forgone.

14. There will be an additional cost associated with the maintenance of traditional farm buildings. Since many of these no longer have a valuable agricultural use it is common to see these deteriorating where they are not protected by the Scheme, because they are expensive to maintain, especially if traditional methods and materials are used.

15. - 20 No significant consequeinces for income forgone.

Income Forgone Calculation - Tier 1A All land
£/ha Loss Gain
Extra income - None
Costs Saved - None
Income lost None -
Extra Costs   -
Hedge maintenance 14  
Ditch and watercourse maintenance 15  
Tree management 3  
Building maintenance 9  
Sub-total 41  
Total 41 None
Income forgone 41  
Uptake Targets to January 2003
7000 hectares
Income Forgone
£41/ha
Current Payment Rate
£20/ha
Level of Incentive
N/A
Justification for Incentive
N/A

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Wet area supplement (available on tiers 1A, 1B, 1C and 1D)

Scheme Prescriptions

21.For a supplementary payment, agree in writing and implement a programme of work including any necessary blocking of drains to impede drainage, fencing to control access by stock on areas agreed with the Project Officer. There should be no stock grazing between 1 April and 30 June.

Agronomic Impact
  1. Considerable loss of income as a result of the reduced stock carrying capacity of the land. Gross margin losses will only partially be offset by reduced costs. It is assumed that 20% of the land entered for this supplement is currently in Tier 1A, and 50% is currently in Tier 1B and the remaining 30% is in Tier 1C
  2. Initial work to increase the wetness of the area incurring an additional cost.
  3. Stock must be fenced out of the area for 3 months of the year. This will involve additional temporary fencing costs and the loss of land for grazing will have to be compensated for by the purchase of additional feed.
  4. While there may be excess grazing available on the fenced out area after 30 June the quality of this grazing is likely to be poor and there is unlikely to be any enhanced productivity of the grazing livestock.
Income Forgone Calculation -Tier 1A Wet Area Management (Assuming a Reduction in Stocking from 1.5 to 0.5 GLU's/ha)
£/ha Loss Gain
Extra income    
Leasing out of excess quota 3 years out of 5   24.11
Costs Saved    
Interest on working capital   31.74
Labour   25.20
Forage   71.04
Sub-total   152.09
Income lost    
Reduction in Gross Margin 260.72  
Sub-total 260.72  
Extra Costs   -
Block drains (16hrs/ha @6.30/hr x 0.152 15.32  
Fencing - 765 metres @ £0.48/m (after grant)    
x 0.152 55.81  
Additional Feed - 3.3kg of hay/day for 90 days @£60/t 17.82  
Sub-total 88.95  
Total 349.67 152.09
Income Forgone 197.58  

 

Income Forgone Calculation - Tier 1B Wet Area Management (Assuming a Reduction in Stocking from 0.9 to 0.5 GLU's/ha)
£/ha Loss Gain
Extra income    
Leasing out of excess quota 3 years out of 5   8.67
Costs Saved    
Interest on working capital   11.74
Labour   9.16
Forage   31.44
Sub-total   61.01
Income lost    
Reduction in Gross Margin 96.45  
Sub-total 96.45  
Extra Costs   -
Block drains (16hrs/ha @6.30/hr x 0.152 15.32  
Fencing - 765 metres @ £0.48/m (after grant)    
x 0.152 55.81  
Additional Feed - 3.3kg of hay/day for 90 days @£60/t 17.82  
Sub-total 88.95  
Total 185.40 61.01
Income Forgone 124.39  

Income Forgone Calculation - Tier 1C Wet Area Management (Assuming no reduction in Stocking)
£/ha Loss Gain
Income lost None  
Costs Saved   None
Extra Costs    
Block Drains:    
16hrs/ha@£6.30/hr x 0.152 15.32  
Fencing: 765 metres @ £0.48/m (after grant) x 0.152 55.81  
Additional Feed:3.3kg of hay/day for 90 days @ £60/t 17.82  
Sub-total 88.95  
Extra income   None
Total 88.95  
Income Forgone 88.95  

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Combined Income Forgone Calculation - Wet Area Management (Average figures assuming that land entered into this Tier is currently in Tier 1A, Tier 1B or Tier 1C) (A+B+C ¸ 3)
£/ha Loss Gain
Extra income   10.92
Costs Saved   60.10
Income lost 119.05  
Extra Costs 88.95  
Total 208 71.02
Income Forgone 136.98  
Uptake Targets to January 2003
25 hectares
Income Forgone
£137/ha
Current Payment Rate
£160/ha
Level of Incentive
17% (£23/ha.)
Justification for Incentive
This is a new supplement for which there is as yet no uptake This supplement. It supplement is important to the achievement of Biodiversity Action Plan objectives. An incentive element is necessary to ensure that the option is attractive and therefore that the target uptake is met.

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Tier 1B - Permanent Grassland

Scheme Prescriptions

Observe prescriptions 1-20 (Tier 1A) plus additional prescriptions set out below:

22. Maintain permanent grassland. Do not excavate, plough, level or reseed. You may chain harrow or roll only if you currently do so but not during the period 1 April to 15 July. Do not cut or apply pesticides to areas of rushes during the period 1 April to 15 July.

23. Land currently managed as hay meadow must continue to be managed as such. Exclude stock from meadows cut for hay at least 7 weeks before mowing and in any event by 27 May until the end of cutting. Cut hay meadows at least 4 years out of 5 but not before 16 July. Remove cut crop and graze the aftermath. In one year out of 5 grazing may occur at a level agreed with the Project Officer. An annual supplementary payment for hay meadow management will be paid.

24. Wilt and turn any grass cut for silage before removal and graze the aftermath.

25. Do not graze so as to cause overgrazing or undergrazing. Poaching must be avoided. Where supplementary feeding cannot take place on Tier 1A and is likely to result in sward damage, sites must be agreed in advance, with the Project Officer.

26. Do not increase your existing application rates of organic or inorganic fertiliser including farmyard manure (FYM) and slurry on any fields and, in any event, do not exceed 175kg total nitrogen per hectare per year.

27. Do not apply pig or poultry manure or sewage sludge.

28. Do not increase your existing application rate of lime, slag or any other substance designed to reduce soil acidity.

29. Do not apply fungicides or insecticides.

30. Do not apply herbicides except to control bracken spear thistle, creeping or field thistle, curled dock, broadleaved dock, ragwort and stinging nettles. With the exception of bracken control apply herbicides only by means of a wick applicator or by spot treatment.

Agronomic Impact
  1. Lower livestock gross margins and the high cost of reseeding mean that it is no longer viable to reseed old permanent pastures, thus there is no longer a loss of income associated with this part of the prescription.
  2. Many farmers currently chain harrow and/or roll after 1 April. If they are to be prevented from doing this they may need to employ additional help/contractors to enable them to complete the work in the short window normally available before this date. This is a busy time of year for them - many are still lambing and it is unreasonable to expect that family labour could cope with the additional work. Contractors rates for small jobs at this busy time of year tend to be higher than normal.
  3. The Income Forgone calculation for this supplement is shown in the separate section dealing with the Hay Meadow Supplement.
  4. The normal date for mowing hay in the Shropshire Hills would be sometime during the last week in June or the first in July. Therefore on average mowing will be delayed by 14 days to comply with this prescription.
  5. This delay will result in a reduction in the feeding value of the hay and a consequent need to feed additional concentrates one year in 10. The The hay crop may be lost altogether as a result of the delayed mowing date and in such years replacement hay will have to be purchased.
  6. The delayed mowing date will also result in a loss of aftermath grazing which may delay the farmers ability to finish lambs and result in reduced returns. See section on Hay Meadow Management Supplement.
  7. Some silage made in the Shropshire Hills is cut using a mower conditioner and would not normally be turned. Turning will involve an additional tractor operation and a contractor may have to be employed to carry this out because timeliness is critical and family labour and machinery is already likely to be working at full capacity on the other operations associated with the silage making process.
  8. Approximately 10% of the permanent grassland in the ESA would currently be receiving 200kg/ha of nitrogen fertiliser or more. A reduction in application rates to 175kg will lead to reduced hay/silage yields or a reduction in the stock carrying capacity of the land from 1.75 GLUs/ha to 1.6 GLUs/ha. The effects on interest on working capital, labour and the ability to lease out quota are ineligible and have not therefore been included in the partial budget.
  9. Traditionally boom sprays would be used for weed control, thus there will be an additional cost associated with application of herbicides by spot treatment or weed-wiper. Spot treatment is time consuming and labour intensive and few farmers possess weed wipers necessitating the use of contractors.
Income Forgone Calculation - Tier 1B Permanent Grassland
£/ha Loss Gain
Extra income - None
Costs Saved -  
Fertiliser (10%)   1
Sub-total   1
Income lost   -
Reduced Gross Margin (10%) 4  
Sub-total 4  
Extra Costs   -
Additional help required to complete chain harrowing/rolling by 1 April 1  
Supplementing poor quality silage resulting from not chain harrowing/rolling 1  
Cost of contractors to turn silage 1  
Weed control 13  
Sub-total 16  
Total 20 1
Income Forgone 19  
Plus Tier 1A costs 41  
Total 60  
Uptake Targets to January 2003
10,800 hectares
Income Forgone
£60/ha
Current Payment Rate
£35/ha
Level of Incentive
N/A
Justification for Incentive
N/A

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Tier 1C - Extensive Permanent Grassland

Scheme Prescriptions

Observe Tier 1A and Tier 1B prescriptions plus additional prescriptions set out below:-

  1. Maintain extensive permanent grassland.
  2. If you cut the grass, cut it only for hay and not silage. Do not cut or top the grass before 16 July or after 31 August. Cut hay meadows at least 4 years out of 5. Remove cut crop and graze the aftermath. In one year out of 5 grazing may occur at a level agreed with the Project Officer. Do not cut or top enclosed rough grazing at any time. AN ANNUAL Supplementary PAYMENT FOR HAY MEADOW Management WILL BE PAID.
  3. Do not apply any inorganic fertiliser or slurry.
  4. No FYM may be applied to Extensive Permanent Grassland except where this grassland is cut for hay in which case up to 7t/ha may be applied every 2 years.
  5. Lime may be applied to neutral hay meadows with the Project Officer's prior written approval. Elsewhere no lime, slag or any other substances designed to reduce soil acidity may be applied.
  6. Do not erect any new permanent or temporary fencing without the Ministry's prior written approval.
Agronomic Impact
  1. The management and economic implications of this supplement are discussed in the separate section dealing with the Hay Meadow Supplement.
  2. The normal date for mowing hay in the Shropshire Hills would be sometime during the last week in June or the first in July. Therefore on average mowing will be delayed by 14 days to comply with this prescription.
  3. This delay will result in a reduction in the feeding value of the hay and a consequent need to feed additional concentrates one year in 10. The The hay crop may be lost altogether as a result of the delayed mowing date and in such years replacement hay will have to be purchased.
  4. The delayed mowing date will also result in a loss of aftermath grazing which may delay the farmers ability to finish lambs and result in reduced returns. See section on Hay Meadow Management Supplement.
  5. A small proportion of the extensive permanent grassland - approx 10% - currently receives about 50 kg/ha of 20:10:10 costing £130/t. Ceasing this application will reduce the stock- carrying capacity of the land by about 0.2 GLUs/ha from 0.9 GLUs to 0.7 GLUs leading to a loss in Gross Margin.
  6. Currently small amounts of FYM are sometime applied to extensive permanent grassland (also about 20%) at a cost of £12/ha for spreading. The reasons for this are two-fold: firstly it helps to increase the productivity of the sward and secondly these areas are sometimes seen as a useful 'dumping ground' for FYM when the ground is wet and farmers do not wish to damage their more productive swards by driving a tractor and muck-spreader over them. The effect of banning these applications will be to reduce the productivity of the sward and as in prescription 33 above the stock-carrying capacity is likely to be reduced by about 0.2 GLUs from 0.9 GLUs to 0.7 GLUs leading to a loss of Gross Margin.
  7. Currently lime is applied to 60% of the extensive permanent grassland at a rate of £2t/ha. At a cost of £15/t amortised over 5 years at 7% this equates to an annual cost of £7.32/ha limed. The effect of not applying lime or slag to the grassland will be a gradual reduction in its productivity and consequently a reduction in its stock-carrying capacity. Over the 10 years of the scheme this reduction could be as much as 0.5 GLUs. An average reduction of 0.2 GLUs reducing stocking levels from 0.7 GLUs/ha to 0.5 GLUs/ha would be realistic with a subsequent loss of Gross Margin. This would occur over 60% of the area.
  8. The combined effect of prescriptions 33, 34 and 35 will be that 35% of the Tier 1C grassland will be subject to a reduction in the stock-carrying capacity of the land from 0.9 to 0.7 GLUs and 60% will be subject to a reduction from 0.7 to 0.5 GLUs. Prior to entry into the scheme the stocking rates on this land varied from 0.5 to 0.9 GLUs depending on the management of the land. Reductions in stocking rates will give rise to savings in labour and interest on working capital, however these savings are very small in comparison with the loss of gross margin.
Income Forgone Calculation - Tier 1C Extensive Permanent Grassland
£/ha Loss Gain
Extra income -  
Quota leasing   5
Sub-total   5
Costs Saved -  
Interest on working capital   3
Labour   5
Fertiliser   1
Farmyard manure spreading   3
Lime   4
Mole draining   1
Sub-total   17
Income lost   -
Loss of Gross Margin 23  
35% x £66.59

60% x £43.01 		26  
Sub-total 49  
Extra Costs None -
Total 49 22
Income Forgone 27  
Plus costs of Tier 1A and 1B 60  
Total 87  
Uptake Targets to January 2003
3,050 hectares
Income Forgone
£87/ha.
Current Payment Rate
£55/ha.
Level of Incentive
0 N/A
Justification for Incentive
N/A

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Extensive Grazing Supplement

Scheme Prescriptions

Observe Tier 1C prescriptions plus additional prescription set out below:

  1. For a supplementary payment you may agree in writing with the Project Officer to reduce stocking levels on Tier 1C Extensive Permanent Grassland to a maximum of 0.375 LU/ha (2.5 ewes/hectare).
Agronomic Impact
  1. The majority of the existing Tier 1C grassland that will be targeted for this supplement is currently grazed with sheep. Stocking levels in excess of 0.75GLU's per hectare (5 ewes/hectare) are believed to exist on the ground with which we are most concerned.
  2. Since this grassland is grazed for most of the year it is unlikely to be practical to remove the ewes to grass keep elsewhere. It is more likely that the excess ewes will be sold.
  3. With lower stocking rates better lamb sale weights could reasonably be expected.
  4. Quota released on disposal of stock may be leased out 3 years in 5.
Income Forgone
£/ha Loss Gain
Extra income
Quota Leasing (2.5 ewes @£8.00 x3/5)   12.00
1 lamb/ha sold for £2/ha more   2.00
Costs saved
Interest on working capital   11.90
Labour   11.35
Sub-total   37.25
Income lost
Livestock Gross Margin 96.00  
Extra Costs -  
Sub-total 96.00  
Total 96.00 37.25
Income Forgone 58.75  
Uptake Targets to January 2003
610 hectares
Income Forgone
£59/ha.
Current Payment Rate
£60/ha.
Level of Incentive
1.7% (£1/ha.)
Justification for Incentive
This small incentive element will be helpful in meeting the target uptake for this new supplement.

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Tier 1D - Moorland

Scheme Prescriptions

Observe Tier 1A prescriptions plus additional prescriptions set out below:-

  1. At the start of your agreement agree in writing with the Project Officer a plan of moorland management which must be implemented. The plan will include any necessary controlled burning, cutting, scrub and bracken management.
  2. Maintain moorland. Do not excavate, plough, level, reseed, cut, top, harrow, roll or otherwise cultivate.
  3. Do not exceed your existing stocking levels and, in any event, do not exceed 0.225 Livestock Units (LU) per hectare. During the period 1 November to 28 February remove all cattle and 25% of your ewe flock from your moorland.
  4. Do not graze so as to cause poaching, overgrazing or undergrazing.
  5. Restrict supplementary feeding of livestock to areas agreed in advance with the Project Officer.
  6. Do not apply any organic or inorganic fertiliser or lime, slag or any other substance designed to reduce soil acidity.
  7. Do not apply fungicides or insecticides.
  8. Do not apply herbicides except to control bracken, spear thistle, creeping or field thistle, curled dock, broadleaved dock, ragwort and stinging nettles. With the exception of bracken control, apply herbicides only by means of a wick applicator or by spot treatment.
  9. Ensure by adequate stock management that livestock graze only lightly, do not trespass on to neighbouring moorland and do not concentrate on or adjacent to those areas of heather vulnerable to grazing pressure (including heather margins and areas of recently burnt heather).
  10. Do not fence across open moorland.
Agronomic Impact
  1. 30% of the moorland area is heather. 70% of this is suitable for burning and will require burning in rotation - initially once every 12 years.
  2. 25% of the moorland is suffering from bracken encroachment. This will require control. 25% of the work will be done by mechanical means ( cutting or crushing ) and 12 passes will be required in 10 years. The remaining 75% of the work will be done by aerial spraying with repeat applications required every 4 years. All this work will be grant aided at 50%.
  3. Outside of ESA agreement there is very little heather burning or bracken spraying being carried out at present. The moorland areas are predominantly stocked with hill sheep. From the information currently available it is estimated that these are stocked at about 3.0 ewes per hectare,(0.45 livestock units per hectare). Therefore entry into the scheme would require a reduction in stock numbers of 1.5 ewes per hectare. It is assumed that these surplus ewes would have to be sold. This would result in a loss of Gross Margin but savings in labour and interest on working capital.
  4. Currently much of the moorland is overgrazed and overstocked. A reduction in stocking rate to a level at or below the maximum carrying capacity of the moor should result in an improvement in the gross margin of the remaining stock as a result of better forage. This improvement has been estimated at £2.19 per ewe.
  5. In addition to the overall reduction in stock numbers a further 25% reduction during the winter period would involve an additional cost in away-wintering of stock.
  6. All heather is vulnerable to overgrazing in late summer. Recently burnt heather is most at risk. To protect the heather and prevent localised overgrazing and trespass by stock additional shepherding will be needed. This will be met in most cases by extra hours of contract shepherding.
  7. In addition, since almost all the moorland areas are grazed by a number of commoners it is providing necessary for the commoners to employ an agent to assist them in drawing up and managing an ESA agreement. The set-up cost of this is probably around £525/moor and annual charges of £250/moor are anticipated.
  8. The cost of bracken and scrub control have been calculated with specific reference to moorland conditions. They are a requirement carried forward from Tier 1A. The cost of pond maintenance on moorland is insignificant.
Income Forgone Calculation - Tier 1D Moorland
£/ha Loss Gain
Extra Income -  
Additional Gross Margin/ewe 1.5 ewes @ £1.29   2
Quota leasing for 1.5 ewes/ha   12
Sub-total   14
Costs Saved -  
Interest on working capital for 1.5 ewes/ha   2
Sub-total   2
Income Lost   -
Reduction in Gross margin of 1.5 ewes/ha @ £29.44/ewe 44  
Sub-total 44  
Extra Costs   -
Away wintering of ewes 0.375 @ £12/ewe including transport 5  
Bracken control 5  
Scrub management 2  
Heather burning 1  
Shepherding 5  
Moving feeders 3  
Agents' fees 2  
Sub-total 23  
Total 67 16
Income forgone 51  
Uptake Targets to January 2003
1,820 hectares
Income Forgone
£51/ha.
Current Payment Rate
£60/ha
Level of Incentive
17.6% (£9/ha.)
Justification for Incentive
Moorland is of great importance in this ESA (one of the primary objectives of the Scheme is to maintain and enhance the wildlife conservation value and landscape quality of heather and other semi-natural vegetation and both lowland and upland heathland are BAP priority habitats). We intend to avoid a reduction in the payment rate at this time, to reflect that importance. The incentive element would recognises the already difficult task of achieving agreements on many of the moorland areas. Currently just over 32% of the moorland area is under agreement.

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Supplements for off-wintering of stock

Scheme Prescriptions
  1. For a supplementary payment you may agree in writing with the Project officer to reduce your stocking rate to 0.112 LU/ha (0.75 ewes/ha) between 1 November and 28 February). For a further supplement you may agree to the removal of all stock between these dates.
Agronomic Impact
  1. The majority of the moorland areas in the ESA are primarily grazed by sheep. Sheep removed from the moorland over winter will generally be sent away "on tack" for this period.
  2. The cost of "tack" is generally about 60p/ewe/week and the ewes will be away from 17 weeks. On top of this there will be a transport cost of £1.80/ewe. This is on average as it will vary according to the distance travelled and the number of ewes to be transported.
  3. The existing moorland prescriptions require farmers to remove 25% of their ewe flock during this period. Reduction to 0.112 LU's/ha would require the further removal of 0.375 ewes while 1.125 ewes would have to be removed if there are to be no stock on the moorland.
  4. Although the ewes might be expected to ´do' better on tack this is unlikely to be reflected in a higher lambing percentage and therefore there will be no financial gains associated with it.
Income Forgone Calculation - Supplements for Off-Wintering Of Stock

1.Reduction of stock to 0.112 LU's/ha from 1 November to 28 February.

  • 0.375 ewes @ £12/ewe=£4.50

2.Removal of all stock from 1 November to 28 February.

  • 1.125 ewes @ £12/ewe=£13.50
Uptake Targets to January 2003
1,500 hectares
Income Forgone
Removal of 50% of stock: £4.50/ha.
Removal of all stock: £13.50/ha.
Current Payment Rate
Removal of 50% of stock: £5/ha.
Removal of all stock: £16/ha.
Level of Incentive
Removal of 50% of stock: 11% (£0.50/ha.)
Removal of all stock: 18.5% (£2.50/ha.)
Justification for Incentive
These small incentive payments are necessary to ensure the success of these recently introduced supplements, which themselves will contribute to the environmental performance of the ESA.

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Tier 2 - Heather Moorland

Scheme Prescriptions

Observe prescriptions 1-20 (Tier 1A) and 38-47 (Tier 1D) plus additional prescriptions set out below:

  1. Do not exceed your existing stocking levels and, in any event, do not exceed 0.1 Livestock Units (LU) per hectare. During the period 1 November to 28 February remove all stock from your moorland.
  2. Do not provide livestock with supplementary feed.
Agronomic Impact
  1. A further reduction in stocking levels from 0.225 to 0.15 Livestock Units equates to a reduction of 0.84 ewes / hectare. It is assumed that these ewes would be sold off the holding. No further significant increase in ewe gross margins is considered likely at these stocking levels.Removal of the stock from the moorland from 1st November to 28th February will result in the need to purchase winter keep at a cost of £9.60/ewe and transport costs will also be incurred. Any savings in labour will be negligible.
  2. Without supplementary feeding the lambing % could fall by 20% resulting in a reduction of 0.19 lambs/ewe sold at £14/lamb.
Income Forgone Calculation - Tier 2 Heather Moorland
£/ha Loss Gain
Extra Income -  
Leased out quota for 0.84 ewes @ £7.80   7
Sub-total   7
Costs Saved -  
Interest on working capital for 0.84 ewes/ha @ £1.66   1
Sub-total   1
Income Lost   -
Reduction in Gross Margin of 0.84 ewes/ha @ £29.44/ewe 25  
Reduction in lambs sold of 0.19 lambs @ £14/lamb 3  
Sub-total 28  
Extra Costs   -
Away wintering of ewes 0.66 ewes @ £12/ewe including transport 8  
Sub-total 8  
Total 36 8
Income forgone 28  
Plus cost of Tier 1D 51  
Total 79  
Uptake Targets to January 2003
1,645 hectares
Income Forgone
£79/ha.
Current Payment Rate
£95/ha.
Level of Incentive
20% (£16/ha.)
Justification for Incentive
Uptake currently stands at under 3% of target. This very high target in relation to current uptake is the result of including a proportion of the moorland on the Long Mynd in the target. Getting this area under agreement will depend on the ability to achieve an agreement with the Commoners. Higher uptake levels would be received very favourably by all the conservation bodies involved in the ESA given the high level of importance attached to heather moorland in the area. It was one of the key reasons the ESA was designated in 1994 and is a BAP priority habitat.

As with Tier 1D any reduction in the payment level would go down extremely badly with farmers in the ESA and if the differential between the two tiers were reduced then Tier 1D plus the supplement for off-wintering 100% of stock would be more attractive than Tier 2.

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Woodland Tier

Scheme Prescriptions
  1. Adopt a programme agreed in writing with the Project Officer to enhance the wildlife and landscape value of non net-income generating woodland. This will involve making and keeping the woodland stockproof and the carrying out of an ongoing programme of woodland management.
Agronomic Impact
  1. There will be a cost associated with implementing the management of the woodland. It is assumed that there will be 8 hours work every 10 years.
  2. Excluding livestock from the woodland will result in higher lamb mortality due to loss of shelter and increased feed costs due to loss of grazing. There will also be a cost associated with fencing the woodland. It is assumed that 50% of the woodland will require fencing and that it will be eligible for an 80% grant under the conservation plan.
Income Forgone Calculation - Woodland Tier
£/ha Loss Gain
Extra income
Costs saved
Variable costs for lamb   4.80
Sub-total   4.80
Income lost
1.2 lamb @ £36 43.20  
Extra costs
Feed 12  
Fencing 70.53  
Labour 7.66  
Sub total 133.39  
Total 133.39 4.80
Income Forgone 128.59  
Uptake Targets to January 2003
35 hectares
Income Forgone
£129/ha.
Current Payment Rate
£150/ha.
Level of Incentive
16% (£21/ha.)
Justification for Incentive
This is a new tier which seeks to encourage the positive management and natural regeneration of small native woodlands, including upland oakwood, which is a Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) priority habitat. Woodland management does not readily contribute to the farm business in the ESA and hence an incentive element is justified. was justified when the tier was introduced.

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Hay meadow supplement

Scheme Prescriptions

Prescription 23 of Tier 1B Permanent Grassland.

Agronomic Impact

The management and economic implications of the prescriptions for the Hay Meadow Supplement are shown under the section for Tier 1B and Tier 1C.

Income Forgone Calculation - Hay Meadow Supplement
£/ha Loss Gain
Extra Income - None
Costs Saved - None
Income Lost   -
Lamb sales 17  
Sub-total 17  
Extra Costs   -
Purchased barley 23  
Purchased hay 40  
Sub-total 63  
Total 80 None
Income forgone 80  
Uptake Targets to January 2003
275 hectares
Income Forgone
£80/ha.
Current Payment Rate
£90/ha.
Level of Incentive
12.5% (£10/ha.)
Justification for Incentive
Lowland hay meadows are a key BAP habitat and the number of sites within the county is thought to have declined dramatically in recent years. The ESA Scheme provides good protection for such sites and the Shropshire Wildlife Trust is pleased with what has been achieved so far. Currently just over 47% of the uptake target is under agreement. Present payment rates are thought to provide sufficient incentive for most potential agreement holders in normal years, but it is known that some are concerned that it would not adequately cover the cost of losing a hay crop in a year when winter forage was expensive and thus an increase in payment to allow for this risk is appropriate.

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Hedge Management Supplement

Scheme Prescription

Prescription 7 of Tier 1A All land.

Agronomic Impact

The management and economic implications of the prescription for the Hedge Management Supplement are shown under the section for Tier 1A.

Income Forgone Calculation - Hedge Management Supplement
£/ha Loss Gain
Extra income - None
Costs Saved - None
Income lost None -
Extra Costs   -
Hedge laying 0.7m @ £9.75/m 7  
Coppicing 0.3m @ £9.07/m 3  
Gapping up 0.4m @ £5.72/m 2  
Sub-total 12  
Total 12 None
Income forgone 12  
Uptake Targets to January 2003
7,500 metres
Income Forgone
£12 per metre /m
Current Payment Rate
£9 per metre /m
Level of Incentive
0 N/A
Justification for Incentive
N/A

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Page last modified: 17 August, 2005
Page published: 10 December, 2002

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs