Defra

1.1.1 What is Environmental Stewardship?

Environmental Stewardship (ES) is a new agri-environment scheme which aims to secure widespread environmental benefits. The scheme has three elements:

• Entry Level Stewardship
• Organic Entry Level Stewardship
• Higher Level Stewardship

Entry Level Stewardship (ELS) is a 'whole farm scheme' open to all farmers and land managers. Acceptance will be guaranteed providing you can meet the scheme requirements. If you have a mix of conventionally and organically farmed land, or all your land is farmed organically, you should apply for OELS (see below).

Organic Entry Level Stewardship (OELS) is a 'whole farm scheme' similar to ELS, open to farmers who manage all or part of their land organically and who are not receiving aid under the Organic Aid Scheme (OAS) or the Organic Farming Scheme (OFS). If any part of your farm is registered with an Organic Inspection Body, you should apply for OELS rather than ELS. To apply for OELS you will need a separate OELS application pack: this is available from your Rural Development Service (RDS) office. RDS contact details are provided in appendix 6 of this handbook. [Further information]

Higher Level Stewardship (HLS), which will be combined with ELS or OELS options, aims to deliver significant environmental benefits in high priority situations and areas. HLS is discretionary and concentrates on the more complex types of management where land managers need advice and support and where agreements need to be tailored to local circumstances. To apply for HLS you will need a separate HLS application pack: this is available from your RDS office. [Further information]

1.1.2 What are the aims of Entry Level Stewardship?

ELS aims to encourage large numbers of farmers and land managers across England to deliver simple yet effective environmental management that goes beyond the Single Payment Scheme (SPS) requirement to maintain land in Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition (GAEC).

Defra has designed ELS to be simple to administer, with the minimum amount of paperwork. Anyone meeting all the scheme's requirements will be accepted into the scheme.

If ELS is taken up across large areas of the countryside it will help to:

• Improve water quality and reduce soil erosion - by encouraging management which can help to meet these aims;
• Improve conditions for farmland wildlife - including birds, mammals, butterflies and bees;
• Maintain and enhance landscape character - by helping to maintain important features such as traditional field boundaries;
• Protect the historic environment - including archaeological features and artefacts.

1.1.3 How does the scheme work?

Detailed instructions are provided later in this handbook, but in summary the scheme works as follows.

If you are applying for ELS, you will first have to prepare a simple record of features on your farm (called the Farm Environment Record). This will be done using the Farm Environment Record (FER) map supplied by RDS.

When you request your pre-filled application form and maps you will also be given a 'points target'. This is related to your farm size (see section 1.3.4 for details). There is no minimum holding size for entry into ELS.

You will be able to choose from a wide range of options (e.g. hedgerow management, low input grassland, buffer strips, management plans and options to protect soils), covering all farming types. Each option will earn 'points' (e.g. 400 points per hectare) towards your points total.

You have the flexibility to decide how much of each option to have, and where to put them, until you have chosen enough to reach your 'points target'. You will need to mark the location of some of these options on the Options map provided by RDS (see section 2 for details of how to mark up your map). If you agree to deliver enough ELS options to meet your points target you will be guaranteed entry into the scheme.

1.1.4 What payments will I receive?

You will be paid a flat rate payment of £30 per hectare, per year , for all your eligible land, with the following exception:

• For land parcels of 15 ha or more within the Less Favoured Area (LFA), you will be paid a rate of £8 per ha, per year . This rate will apply, even if you want to enter part of a 15 ha LFA land parcel.
• Subject to section 7.5, the payment rate you receive for ELS will remain the same for the duration of your agreement.

1.1.5 What will I be required to do?

In applying for, and being accepted into, ELS you will be agreeing to:

1. identify, map and retain your FER features (see section 2.3.2);
2. deliver the options selected in your application form in accordance with the management requirements set out in section 3; and
3. adhere to all the scheme terms and conditions contained in this handbook, and in particular to follow Good Farming Practice throughout your farm, and to comply with the other additional requirements contained in section 5

1.1.6 How long will my agreement last?

Your agreement with Defra will be legally binding. It will run for five years and you will be required to fulfil your obligations for the full term of your agreement. You will incur a penalty if you withdraw from the scheme early or breach the terms of your agreement.

1.1.7 Will my details be made public?

To meet our obligations under the Data Protection Act 1998 we need to explain how we will handle the information you give us.

Because Environmental Stewardship involves expenditure of public money, there is public interest in how the money is spent. Therefore Defra, may in certain circumstances, make information about your application and agreement publicly available for this purpose. We may also need to disclose details about your application and agreement to other organisations or individuals for administration, evaluation or monitoring purposes.

Details disclosed may include your name, the name of your farm or business, grid references, the total area under agreement, the payment you receive, the location of fields and details of the environmental features and management options they contain. Such information may be released upon request under the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 or the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

1.2.1 Is my land on the Rural Land Register?

All the land which you intend to enter into the scheme must be on the Rural Payment Agency's Rural Land Register (RLR) before you submit your application. The RLR provides a digital record of all farmed land in England and use of this database will help ensure that applications can be processed quickly and efficiently.

All management options must be on RLR registered land or along associated field boundaries.

Most farmers will already have been contacted by RPA and supplied with maps to confirm details about land parcels that are included on the RLR. Where this is not the case, you should contact RPA about registering your land before you apply (see appendix 6 for RPA contact details).

If you are an existing agri-environment scheme agreement holder (e.g. Countryside Stewardship Scheme or Farm Woodland Premium Scheme), you do not need to register land already covered by your existing agreement, unless you intend to claim Single Payment Scheme payments on it.

This is a whole farm scheme, so your application should include all the eligible RLR registered land that you occupy and manage as a single business enterprise. This land can include areas covered by woodland and scrub, provided they are registered on the RLR.

Your farm may have some unregistered land, such as woodland, areas of scrub or unimproved grassland; you may wish to register this land so that it can be included in your application and contribute towards the payment you receive. Please check your registration information and contact RPA to register any unregistered parcels if necessary.

If you have large areas of woodland (e.g. parcels over 10 ha), registered on the RLR, these will normally be included in your application and count towards your payment and points target. However, where a large proportion of your land is covered by woodland, you may find it difficult to deliver enough options to reach your points target. In this situation, you may choose to exclude woodland parcels from your application, but you will not receive ELS payment for the excluded areas. If you find it necessary to delete a woodland parcel, you should follow the instructions provided in section 2.3.1.

1.2.2 What is an RPA 'vendor number'?

The 'vendor number' is a unique trader registration number allocated to you by the RPA so that you can receive payments. You must enter this number at section 1 of your application form. If you previously claimed payments under IACS or under an ERDP scheme (see appendix 6 for a list of ERDP schemes) you will have already been issued with a vendor number.

If you do not have a vendor number, you must obtain one from the RPA (contact details are provided in appendix 6 of this handbook).

1.2.3 What if I do not own some or all of the land?

If you are a tenant or contractual licensee you must discuss your application with your landlord to ensure that you do not breach the conditions of your tenancy/licence. If you do not have sufficient control over management of the land, or if your tenancy/licence has less than five years to run, even if you are expecting a further extension, your landlord/the land owner must agree to take over in the event of your control lapsing. S/he must countersign your application to this effect. Alternatively, your landlord may apply for an agreement and discuss with you the delivery of the options and management required.

If you need to make a countersigned application you should discuss the proposal with the relevant person (e.g. the freehold owner, your landlord, the person whose land you farm) and complete section 2 of the application form. The relevant person will have to sign the declaration at section 2 to confirm that they will ensure that your agreement commitments are fulfilled, if for any reason you cease to have control over the land during the five years of your agreement.

If you have more than one tenancy with less than five years to run, you will need to complete a supplementary land ownership and control form (ERDP/ES/LOC1) for each additional tenancy. These forms are available from your RDS office (see appendix 6) and are also available to download.

1.2.4 Partnerships and trusts

If you are a partnership, trust etc you can make an application, but Defra will not become involved in any disputes between individuals and you must comply with the following conditions:

1.2.5 Is common land eligible?

Common land is eligible, but you must be aware that Defra will not become involved in any disputes between commoners. Common land can only be entered into ELS as a separate application covering the whole common. If you farm both common land and other land you should make a separate application covering your other land (e.g. your in-bye land).

All those who hold rights over the common must appoint one signatory to sign the common land application on their behalf. When making the application the signatory must comply with the following conditions:

1. The signatory must be either the owner of the common, a member of a commoners' association or, if no such association exists, any other commoner who personally agrees to take responsibility for the ELS commitment and any liabilities for non-compliance.
2. The signatory must secure the agreement of all known rights holders of the common before making an application.
3. The application must cover the whole common and must not include any other land (e.g. privately managed in-bye land).
4. The signatory must sign both the ELS application form itself and a common land supplementary application form (ERDP/ES/COM1) which contains additional declarations. This form must also be signed by the owner of the common or their appointed representative (unless the owner is making the application or there is no owner). The supplementary form is available on request from your RDS office (see appendix 6), and also available to download.
5. The signatory must take on the responsibility for delivery of the whole agreement.
6. All the payments will be made to the signatory and they must be responsible for paying back any grant if they are found to be in breach of the agreement.

1.2.6 What if others hold rights over my land?

If others hold rights over your land, for example if you have let sporting rights, you should discuss your application with them. It is your responsibility to deliver the options specified in your application and to meet all the scheme conditions.

1.2.7 What if the land I farm is owned by the Crown, a local authority or another Exchequer funded body?

Land which is owned by the Crown, a local authority or another Exchequer funded body, but managed by a tenant, may be entered into ELS, providing the application does not include any environmental management which:

1. is a condition of that tenancy; or
2. is already required as part of the conservation responsibilities of the landlord.

In these situations, if you are the tenant, it is your responsibility to ensure that there is no overlap between the obligations you have as part of your tenancy or the obligations of your landlord, and any ELS management requirements.

Land owned and managed directly by the Crown, local authorities or another Exchequer funded body cannot be entered into ELS, as these bodies are expected to manage their land in an environmentally friendly way and are therefore not eligible for payments for basic land management. Management above this basic level may be more appropriate for Higher Level Stewardship (HLS). There are separate requirements for HLS which are described in the HLS handbook.

1.2.8 Do I have another scheme or obligation on my land?

As a general rule, Defra cannot pay you for management you are required to do under an existing scheme or obligation. Specific guidance on what to do if you have another scheme or obligation on your land is provided in section 4 of this handbook. The following table lists the contents of section 4. Please look through this list to check if any of the guidance applies to your land:

1.3.1 How do I submit my application?

Once the land you wish to enter into the scheme is on the RLR (see section 1.2.1) you can apply for ELS via the internet or by post. Applying for ELS via the internet using the ELS Online service has many advantages:

• It will be easier to prepare neat, accurate application maps.
• It will be easier to make alterations to your application before it is submitted.
• The ELS software automatically carries out the calculations you need to convert your mapping measurements to ELS points.
• The automatic calculations carried out by the ELS software will help to ensure that your ELS application is free from errors.

Section 1.3.2 below provides a summary of the internet application process.

If you wish to apply by post and have not received a pre-filled application form and maps, you must follow the instructions provided at the front of this handbook. Once you have received your pre-filled application form and maps, section 2 of this handbook provides detailed instructions for completing your postal application.

1.3.2 How do I apply via the internet?

Before you apply via the internet you will need to:

1. Check that all the land you wish to enter into the scheme is on the RLR. See section 1.2.1 for guidance about the RLR, and section 1.2 and section 4 to check the eligibility of you and your land.
2. Make sure you have a 'vendor number'. See section 1.2.2 for guidance about vendor numbers.

• Find out more about ELS Online

1.3.3 When should I send in my application and when will my agreement start?

You should send in your application once you have completed your application form and marked up your maps. You can apply at any time, but if you want to choose a particular agreement start date you will have to submit your application by the deadline for that date.

For 2005 we have now introduced monthly, rather than quarterly, agreement start dates for ELS and OELS to help with early entry into the scheme.

Our target will be to provide you with an agreement within three months of receipt of a valid application. Agreements will commence on the first day of each month so, for example, we aim to issue an agreement by 1 November for a valid application received during August. We will give you the earliest start date we are able to unless you ask for a specific date later than the three month target.

Please note that the first possible agreement start dates are 1 August 2005 for ELS/OELS and 1 November for HLS.

• Download this information in print-friendly format[27KB]

Section 2.3.6 of this handbook provides a table showing agreement start dates, and corresponding application deadlines, for 2006 and following years .

1.3.4 How is my points target calculated?

Your points target will be calculated for you and included in your pre-filled application form. The calculation will be made as follows:

• You will need to achieve 30 points per hectare for all your eligible land with the following exception:
• If you have any land in the Less Favoured Area (LFA) in parcels of 15 ha or more , you will need to achieve 8 points per hectare on that land.

1.3.5 How should I choose which options to put in my application?

Section 3 of this handbook contains the complete list of ELS options. It describes the management to be carried out for each option and the standards that must be met. If you include any option in your application, you are agreeing to carry out the management requirements for that option. You should read the guidelines for each option carefully to help you choose which ones to include in your application.

Supplied with your application maps will be a guidance note called 'ELS: making the most of your options' . This note gives a short description of your local area, identifying characteristic landscape, wildlife and historic features, and identifies which options will deliver benefits that are particularly relevant to your land. This description may help you to choose which options to include in your application. In addition, you will be provided with an Environmental Information Map which may show features of particular historic, landscape or wildlife interest. You may find this map helpful when deciding which options to choose and where to locate them.

1.3.6 Can I have more than one option on the same area of land?

In a few instances you can have up to two land management options on the same area of land at the same time, but you cannot combine more than two options. Section 3.3 of this handbook contains a table showing permitted combinations of options. This rule does not apply to ELS management plan options; they may be applied to all field parcels included in your application, provided they meet the eligibility criteria for the management plan concerned - see pages 83 to 85 of this handbook.

1.3.7 Should I exceed my points target?

The points target for your farm, and the associated payment rate, is fixed. This means that there is not a higher payment for delivery of additional options over and above your required target.

If you are very confident that the measurements (length, area, etc) of your options are accurate, there is no need to deliver more than your points target. However, if you want to make sure that there is some margin for error, you may wish to consider delivering options slightly in excess of your target, in case, on inspection, any issues arise over the eligibility of your options or your compliance with the option prescription. It is essential that you do not fall below your target points or you will be in breach of your agreement (see appendix 5 on penalties). However, you will not be paid any extra if you exceed your points target.

If you feel that you would like to deliver a higher level of commitment than that required by Entry Level Stewardship, you may wish to consider applying for Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) . Under HLS there is a wider range of options and payment rates with more detailed management requirements. However, there is no guarantee that an HLS application will be successful, because each one is subjected to a technical assessment of its benefit to the environment. If you want to apply for HLS you will need a separate application pack. [Further information]

1.3.8 Will help be provided to understand the scheme and complete my application?

We hope that enough information is provided in this handbook to enable you to complete your application. RDS, and other organisations, will also be holding Environmental Stewardship (ES) meetings and other events to explain the scheme and to provide advice on applying. In addition, you will be able to contact advisers at your RDS office who will be able to help with general enquiries. If you wish to attend an ES meeting you should contact your RDS office for the location of venues and availability of places. Meeting dates and details are available at the links below:

• East of England
• East Midlands
• North East
• North West
• South East
• South West
• West Midlands
• Yorkshire and the Humber

1.3.9 Can an agent act on my behalf?

The application process has been designed to be as simple as possible. It has been designed so that most applicants should feel confident enough to complete and submit the application themselves. However, if you prefer you can authorise an agent to submit an application on your behalf. You can also authorise an agent to act on your behalf on all matters relating to the maintenance of your agreement. There is also a facility to enable your payments to be made to an agent.

To authorise an agent to act on your behalf in relation to any part of your agreement, you will need to complete and sign the relevant sections of the agent authorisation form (ERDP/AUTH1) which must be sent with your application. If you did not request an agent authorisation form with this handbook you can obtain one from your RDS office or download one from the Defra website. RDS contact details are provided in appendix 6 of this handbook.

Please note that any payment you make to an agent to help you with your application will not be reimbursed by Defra.

1.3.10 What should I do if I have already sown my crops?

If you have a crop in place at the start of your agreement, and the crop would need to be destroyed to establish your option (e.g. pollen and nectar mixture, buffer strips), you may keep the crop in place until harvest. However, you must ensure that the land concerned does not receive any fertiliser, spray or other inputs between the agreement start date and harvest. The scheme options should then be established as soon as possible after harvest, and this must be within 12 months of your agreement start date. For all other options, you must comply with the management requirements from the start date of your agreement.

1.3.11 What happens next?

Once your application has been received by RDS, it will be checked to see if you meet the eligibility requirements, that all the necessary details have been entered on your application form and that all your maps have been completed. If it passes these simple checks RDS will notify you that you have been accepted into the scheme, and provide you with an agreement reference number that you should quote in future correspondence.

1.3.12 When and how will I be paid?

If you are accepted into ELS, you will receive a payment every six months of your agreement. Each six monthly payment will be half of your annual payment and each of these payments will be made automatically, apart from the final payment. Towards the end of the final year you will be sent a form to claim for the remaining payment. When making this final claim, you will need to sign a declaration to confirm that you have complied with the terms of your agreement throughout the five years.

1.3.13 The Environmental Impact Assessment (Uncultivated Land and Semi-natural Areas) (England) Regulations 2001

These regulations seek to protect environmentally important land from agricultural intensification. Land managers are required to seek approval from Defra before carrying out any work that would intensify the agricultural use of uncultivated land or semi-natural areas, such as cultivation or increasing the amount of fertiliser added annually.

It is unlikely that ELS options will alter the status of land in relation to these regulations, but you should consider this before you apply. Enquiries about the regulations should be addressed to the EIA helpline on 0800 028 2140.