West Penwith ESA
- Aims and objectives
- Background to the ESA
- Tier 1 - All land
- Tier 2 - Winter stubbles
- Field margin supplement
Aims and objectives
1.The West Penwith ESA aims to maintain and enhance the landscape character of the area and its wildlife and historic values by encouraging the maintenance and adoption of appropriate farming systems which integrate the use of clean and rough land.
2. Specific objectives are:
| Related tier(s) | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1. | To maintain and enhance the landscape character and wildlife and historic interest of rough land. | 1 |
| 2. | To maintain and enhance the landscape character and wildlife and historic interest of the clean land, with its small-scale field patterns, field boundaries, their margins, gates/gate posts and traditional farm buildings. | 1, inc. supplement |
| 3. | To protect archaeological and historic features. | 1 |
| 4. | To maintain and increase farmland bird populations through the provision of spring cereals and winter stubbles. | 2 |
Background to the ESA
1.The ESA extends over 9,525 hectares of the higher northern part of the Land's End Peninsula between St. Ives and Pendeen. The ESA is highly diverse, ranging from the wild expanse of the moorland and exposed coastal cliffs to the intensively farmed grasslands and sheltered valleys. Current farming in the area is mainly livestock grazing, with localised areas of arable cultivation.
2.The higher moorland core and the coastal strip along the cliffs are covered by heathland. These heaths and semi-natural/semi-improved grassland, together with mires and areas of bracken and scrub, are referred to as 'rough' land. In contrast, the 'clean' land occurs at lower elevations and forms an intricate pattern of small fields enclosed by stone walls and Cornish hedges. The ESA is important because of its relatively unchanged ancient and rural character, based on and created by traditional farming systems, with nationally important habitats. There is a wealth of archaeological interest, ranging from prehistoric field patterns to sites and monuments dating from early prehistory until the 20th Century.
3.The main threat in the area has been one of agricultural intensification (during the 1970s and early 1980s), which has resulted in the improvement of grassland for dairy farming, moorland reclamation, boundary removal and the decline of traditional management practices. The designation of the ESA aimed to arrest these detrimental changes.
4.This is a 'whole-farm' scheme which started in 1987. The ESA was revised in 1997 and was extended by 2,349 hectares. Overall uptake at the end of 1998 was c. 7,862 hectares.
5.A priority objective is to secure the favourable management of the 'clean' and 'rough' land (Tier 1). The prescriptions for this tier have not been revised but a new field margin supplement is available to encourage farmers to leave an uncultivated 1 m strip adjacent to field boundaries for the benefit of wildlife and plant species. This tier is the main mechanism for achieving the Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) target for the priority habitats in the area.
6.All tiers aim to protect the landscape and its characteristic elements and historic features. Throughout the ESA, the enhancement of features, such as traditional farm buildings, gates/gate posts, Cornish hedges, stone walls and historic artefacts etc., can be achieved through the Conservation Plans.
7.The scheme now seeks to increase the value of arable fields for farmland birds, by encouraging spring cereals and the retention of winter stubbles (Tier 2), particularly on the coastal plateau.
Tier 1 - All land
Scheme Prescriptions
1. Maintain existing field patterns and do not remove any hedges, walls or lynchets on which they stand, or part thereof.
2. Do not widen gateways or remove gate posts.
3. Maintain stockproof hedges and walls in a stockproof condition using traditional methods and materials.
4. Do not erect any permanent fences.
5. Maintain existing ponds and streams.
6. Do not remove large boulders from your land.
7. Do not damage or destroy and features of historic interest.
8. Any weatherproof traditional farm buildings which you own or are responsible for must be maintained in a weatherproof condition using traditional materials.
9. 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 determined by the Local Planning Authority.
10. Do not plant trees without prior consent.
11. You must abide by the Code 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.
Additional Prescriptions For Rough Land Only
Rough land includes all heathland, wetland, semi-natural grassland and scrub.
12.Maintain rough land and do not excavate, plough, level or reseed. No form of cultivation is allowed.
13.Do not install any new drainage system or substantially modify any existing system.
14.Graze with cattle but do not cause poaching, under-grazing or over-grazing.
15.Where necessary any heather, grass or scrub burning must be done in accordance with a programme agreed in advance.
16.Restrict supplementary feeding of livestock to areas agreed in advance.
17.Do not apply any type of inorganic or organic fertiliser.
18.Do not apply lime, slag or any other substance to reduce the acidity of the soil.
19.Do not use fungicide or insecticides.
20.Do not apply herbicides except to control bracken, spear thistle, creeping or field thistle, curled dock, broadleaved dock or ragwort. When applying herbicides always use a weed wiper or spot treatment. Where bracken cannot be controlled by mechanical means asulam must be used
21.Do not erect temporary fencing
Agronomic Impact
1. The implications of the Hedgerow Regulations, which were newly introduced in June 1997 when the last review was undertaken, were mistakenly believed to apply to Cornish stone hedgerows. This, according to the Project Officer and Team Manager who have consulted Cornwall County Council, is incorrect and the regulations only apply to 10% of the hedgerows in West Penwith. Accordingly the Income Forgone is calculated on the assumption that a non agreement holder would be able to increase the size of the fields and benefit from additional silage production and more speedy field operations.
2. Because some of the gateways have historic importance and/or make a valuable contribution to the landscape, widening of gateways would not be approved. There would be a minimal effect of this prescription over the whole farm. No separate costing carried out, though in practice it will add inconvenience to farming operations, but on a much lesser scale than the prohibition on increasing field size.
3. Currently only a proportion of hedges are maintained because of the cost. To ensure that all stockproof hedges are maintained will incur an increase in costs to the agreement holder.
4. This prescription means that the present Cornish and stone field boundaries have to be maintained by traditional methods rather than relying on the erection of new fences. It is more expensive to maintain Cornish and stone field boundaries than to erect new fences.
5. Very little effect, as there are few streams and very few farms would be affected. The cost is not shown as it is insignificant.
6. If farmers were allowed to remove boulders there would be an increased area on which to make silage. This would result in increased income, offset by the costs of removing boulders.
7. A high proportion of the features are on "rough" ground, many of which are protected by the field boundary prescriptions. This is not a material factor in Income Forgone and has not been costed, although the prescription will increase inconvenience to some.
8. Increased costs in using traditional materials and methods compared with using modern materials and methods.
9. No cost as it is assumed that free siting advice is available.
10. Commercial planting is not possible on any scale. It is not therefore considered a loss of income to prevent planting.
11. European Union Legislation prevents Agri-Environmental Schemes from paying for activities which farmers should carry out in order to comply with the Codes of Good Agricultural Practice (Annex IVII).
Additional Prescriptions For Rough Land Only
12. By reclaiming rough land it would be possible to increase the number of dairy cows carried and hence increase overall income. This would be partly offset by the costs of reclaiming land. The area of rough land that could be improved is limited, about 3.5 ha per farm has the potential to be brought into agricultural production.
13. As for prescription 12.
14. As for prescription 12.
15. As for prescription 12.
16. As for prescription 12.
17. As for prescription 12.
18. As for prescription 12.
19. As for prescription 12.
20. As for prescription 12.
21. As for prescription 12.
| £/ha | Loss | Gain |
|---|---|---|
| Extra income | - | None |
| Costs Saved | - | |
| Stone hedge removal | 69 | |
| Reseeding | 1 | |
| Fertilisers | 2 | |
| Boulder removal | 3 | |
| Reseeding | 2 | |
| Conventional building repairs | 4 | |
| Sub-total | 81 | |
| Income lost | - | |
| Sale of stone | 66 | |
| Extra silage production | 10 | |
| Silage production (boulders) | 25 | |
| Sub-total | 101 | |
| Extra Costs | - | |
| Stone hedge maintenance - no field enlarging | 36 | |
| Time saving | 3 | |
| Stone hedge maintenance remainder of walls | 26 | |
| Maintenance of retained field boundaries instead of fencing | 2 | |
| Time making silage (boulders) | 2 | |
| Traditional building repairs | 16 | |
| Sub-total | 85 | |
| Total | 186 | 81 |
| Income forgone | 105 |
| £/ha | Loss | Gain |
|---|---|---|
| Extra income | - | None |
| Costs Saved | - | |
| Reclamation costs | 99 | |
| Variable costs of forage | 95 | |
| Interest on forage costs | 3 | |
| Interest on cows | 31 | |
| Interest on buildings | 69 | |
| Sub-total | 297 | |
| Income lost | - | |
| Dairy cow Gross Margin (after cost of leased quota) | 368 | |
| Sub-total | 368 | |
| Extra Costs | None | - |
| Total | 368 | 297 |
| Income forgone | 71 1 | |
| 1 The income change of £71/ha resulting from compliance with the rough land prescription applies to only the 20% of land on the typical farm (7 ha) that is rough. Thus the income change on a typical farm is 20% x £71 = £14. 2/ha. Further, only half of the rough land (3.5 ha) has the potential to be reclaimed. Therefore, the income change on the rough land of a typical farm by following the prescriptions is £14.2 per ha x 50% £7.1 ha. Rounded to £7/ha. | ||
Total Income Forgone for Tier 1 All land is, therefore, £105 + £7 = £112
- Uptake Targets to January 2001
- 8,025 hectares
- Income Forgone
- £112/ ha
- Current Payment Rate
- £85/ ha
- Level of Incentive
- N/A
- Justification of Incentive
- N/A
Tier 2 - Winter stubbles
Scheme Prescriptions
Observe prescriptions 1-11 plus additional prescriptions set out below:
22. Plough, cultivate and sow spring cereal crop but not before 15 march.
23. Do not apply any insecticides - fungicides, herbicides, and growth regulators may be used in agreement with Project Officer.
24. Harvest the crop, remove the straw, but leave the stubble until 15 March the following year.
25. Do not apply pesticides, organic or inorganic fertiliser between crop harvest and 15 March the following year.
Agronomic Impact
22. In order to maintain stubbles over winter ESA participants are limited to growing a spring crop. Typically winter barley will be replaced by spring barley, resulting in loss of income because spring barley produces lower yields although with lower inputs than winter barley. The reduced income will be offset to some degree by savings in the higher costs associated with winter barley production.
23. As for prescription 22.
24. As for prescription 22.
25. As for prescription 22.
| £/ha | Loss | Gain |
|---|---|---|
| Extra income | - | |
| Spring barley Gross Margin | 279 | |
| Sub-total | 279 | |
| Costs Saved | - | |
| Interest on working capital winter barley | 13 | |
| Sub-total | 13 | |
| Income lost | - | |
| Winter barley Gross Margin | 376 | |
| Sub-total | 376 | |
| Extra Costs | - | |
| Interest on working capital spring barley | 8 | |
| Sub-total | 8 | |
| Total | 384 | 292 |
| Income forgone | 92 | |
| Plus Tier 1 All land prescriptions | 105 | |
| Income forgone | 197 |
- Uptake Targets to January 2001
- 100 hectares
- Income Forgone
- £197/ ha
- Current Payment Rate
- £170/ ha
- Level of Incentive
- N/A
- Justification of Incentive
- N/A
Field margin supplement
Scheme Prescriptions
26. For a supplementary payment do not plough or apply pesticides or fertilisers on land within one metre of any field boundary.
Agronomic Impact
26. There will be a reduction of grass output from the field margin and the feeding value of this grass will typically be replaced by purchased concentrate feed. There will be savings in fertiliser costs. The implications for interest on working capital are not considered significant, given the short cycle times associated with inputs and outputs for dairy cows.
Income Forgone Calculation - Field Margin Supplement
| £/ha | Loss | Gain |
|---|---|---|
| Extra income | - | None |
| Costs Saved | - | |
| Fertiliser costs saved | 78 | |
| Sub-total | ||
| Income lost | None | - |
| Extra Costs | - | |
| Additional purchased feed | 226 | |
| Sub-total | ||
| Total | 226 | 78 |
| Income forgone | 1481 | |
| 1 The payment rate is for Income Forgone on the whole field as a result of managing a 1m margin. A 1m margin on a typical field is 5% of the field area. Therefore the Income Forgone over the whole field as a result of leaving an uncultivated 1m margin is £78 x 5% = £7.40/ha | ||
- Uptake Target to January 2001
- 1,100 hectares
- Income Forgone
- £7.40/ ha
- Current Payment Rate
- £7/ ha
- Level of Incentive
- N/A
- Justification of Incentive
- N/A
Page last modified:
17 August, 2005
Page published: 10 December, 2002