Guidance

Annex 2: Actions to address water and air quality issues

Published 9 February 2021

Applies to England

List of options and capital items that improve water and air quality, either directly or indirectly.

The table below show a list of capital items that improve water and air quality, either directly or indirectly. You can use this table, along with the other information below, to identify the relevant capital items to address water and air quality priorities in your local area. Choosing the right capital items to reduce losses of key water pollutants and ammonia from your farm will help you to improve the quality of water and air on your farm, and in your local area.

Some capital items are only available in a Countryside Stewardship High Priority Area for Water or Air Quality and with the support and approval of a Catchment Sensitive Farming Officer (CSFO). These items are listed in the second table in this annex.

To receive support and approval from a CSFO, the capital items you apply for must address the water or air pollutants identified as affecting that catchment or area. You will need to clearly show how the pollutants are currently reaching a watercourse or underground aquifier. In the case of air, you will need to identify where the ammonia emissions are coming from, and with both water and air you will need to show how the work you want to do, will prevent these losses. CSFO support will be targeted at those farms where the largest improvements in water and air quality are likely to be achieved. The impact of a water pollutant or ammonia on a sensitive protected site will be considered as part of this.

You will need to show that you have included a suitable range of capital items to prevent the pollutant reaching a watercourse or the atmosphere, for example, rain water goods and drainage to accompany yard concreting. In some cases, work may be needed over a number of years, which means you may need to submit a number of applications. You will need to agree with your CSFO how this work is phased.

You may also need to think about other areas of the farm to make sure that you are addressing the pollutant. For example, if your work is aimed at reducing sediment you may need to think about reducing run off from fields. You may be able to do this by taking advice from a CSFO rather than, or as well as, using Countryside Stewardship options.

If you can show you meet these requirements and are able to offer clear improvements in water and air quality from using Countryside Stewardship water and air quality capital items, you should contact your local CSFO for support and approval.

Resources to help you choose the right option

  1. If you live in an area where improving water and air quality is a high priority, you can get advice from Catchment Sensitive Farming (CSF). This gives advice on the appropriate use of the capital items to address water and air pollution, based on local priorities and issues. For this scheme year, the areas that are high priority for air quality and water quality are the same.
  2. You can find the water and air quality objectives for your local area in your local Statement of Priorities. If your application meets local water and air objectives you will receive a higher score.
  3. You can use the Countryside Stewardship on-line tool to help you identify the types of capital items you can use to address water and air quality priorities in the local area. You can access the Countryside Stewardship Online Tool by logging on to your Rural Payments account.
  4. You can use the MAGIC website to find water and air quality information for your land. On the list in the Table of Contents, choose ‘Countryside Stewardship Targeting & Scoring Layers’, then ‘Water, and then ‘Countryside Stewardship Water Quality Priority Areas’. You can then make this layer transparent by using the slider under ‘Countryside Stewardship Targeting & Scoring Layers’. You will need to navigate to your land and then use the ‘Identify’ tool in order to check the information specific to your land parcels.

Capital items that address pollutant pressures affecting water and air quality and for flood and coastal risk

Option Code Faecal Indicator Organisms – Bathing waters Ground water priority areas- Nitrate Ground water priority areas - Pesticides Surface Water Pesticides Surface water - Nitrate Surface water (Phosphate+ Sediment) Flood and Coastal Risk Management and Physical Modification Air Quality (ammonia)
Automatic slurry scraper AQ1               X
Low ammonia emission flooring for livestock buildings AQ2               X
Hedgerow gapping-up BN7           X X X
Planting new hedges BN11           X X X
Planting standard hedgerow tree TE1 X X X X X X X X
Supply and plant a tree TE4 X X X X X X X X
Supplement for use of individual tree-shelters TE5 X X X X X X X X
Livestock and machinery hardcore tracks RP4 X         X    
Livestock troughs LV7 X         X X  
Above ground tanks RP18 X X X X X   X  
Bio filters RP26     X X        
Check dams RP12 X         X X  
Concrete yard renewal RP15 X X X X   X   X
Cross drains RP5 X         X X  
Earth banks and soil bunds RP9 X         X X  
Fencing FG1 X X X X X X X X
Sheep netting FG2 X X X X X X X X
Rabbit fencing supplement FG4 X X X X X X X X
Wooden field gate FG12 X X X X X X X X
First flush rainwater diverters or downpipe filters RP19 X X X X X   X  
Floating covers for slurry and anaerobic digestate stores and lagoons RP30 X X     X     X
Gateway relocation RP2 X         X X  
Hard bases for livestock drinkers LV3 X         X X  
Hard bases for livestock feeders LV4 X         X X  
Installation of livestock drinking troughs (in draining pens for freshly dipped sheep) RP23     X X        
Installation of piped culverts in ditches RP6 X         X    
Lined bio bed plus pesticide loading and wash down area RP24     X X        
Lined bio bed with existing wash down area RP25     X X        
Pasture pumps and associated pipework LV5 X         X X  
Permanent electric fencing FG3 X              
Pipework associated with livestock troughs LV8 X         X X  
Rainwater goods RP16 X X X X X X    
Ram pumps and associated pipework LV6 X         X X  
Relocation of sheep dips and pens RP20     X X        
Relocation of sheep pens only RP21     X X        
Resurfacing of gateways RP1           X    
Roofing (sprayer wash down area, manure storage area, livestock gathering area, slurry stores, silage stores) RP28 X X X X X X    
Sediment ponds and traps RP7 X         X X  
Self- supporting covers for slurry and anaerobic digestate stores RP29 X X     X     X
Sheep dip drainage aprons and sumps RP22     X X        
Sheep netting FG2 X              
Silt filtration dams or seepage barriers RP10 X         X X  
Sprayer or applicator load and wash down area RP27     X X        
Storage tanks underground RP17             X  
Swales RP11 X         X X  
Water gates FG15 X X X X X X X  
Watercourse crossings RP3 X         X    
Yard - underground drainage pipework RP13 X X X X X X    
Yard Inspection pit RP14 X X X X X X    

Options and capital items requiring Catchment Sensitive Farming Officer (CSFO) approval

You must have approval from a local CSFO to apply for certain capital items. These are listed in the table below. If you apply for these and do not have approval, we will remove them from your application. Your land must also be in a Countryside Stewardship High Priority Area for Water or Air Quality.

Code Option
RP4 Livestock and machinery hardcore tracks
RP13 Yard - underground drainage pipework
RP14 Yard inspection pit
RP15 Concrete yard renewal
RP17 Storage tanks underground
RP18 Above ground tanks
RP19 First flush rainwater diverters and downpipe filters
RP20 Relocation of sheep dips and pens
RP21 Relocation of sheep pens only
RP22 Sheep dip drainage aprons and sumps
RP23 Installation of livestock drinking troughs (in draining pens for freshly dipped sheep)
RP24 Lined biobed plus pesticide loading and washdown area
RP25 Lined biobed with existing washdown area
RP27 Sprayer or applicator load and washdown area
RP28 Roofing (sprayer washdown area, manure storage area, livestock gathering area, slurry stores, silage stores)
RP29 Self-supporting covers for slurry and anaerobic digestate stores
RP30 Floating covers for slurry and anaerobic digestate stores and lagoons
AQ1 Automatic slurry scraper
AQ2 Low ammonia emission flooring for livestock buildings
TE4 Supply and plant a tree
TE5 Supplement for use of individual tree-shelters

You can find CSFO contact details) and guidance on how to check whether your land is in a Countryside Stewardship High Priority Area for Water or Air on GOV.UK.

If your land is in a Countryside Stewardship High Priority Area for Water or Air and you would like support or approval, you must contact your local CSFO at least 6 weeks before you intend to submit your application. If you don’t allow at least 6 weeks for them to review your request, there is no guarantee that your request will be considered. Complete the Request for approval from a Catchment Sensitive Farming Officer form and send it to your local CSFO to request support.

For parcels to be included they must be registered on the Rural Payments service. If you need new land parcel numbers, fill in an RLE1 form and send to us with sketch maps.