This item is part of Capital Grants 2026. You must read the Capital Grants 2026 guidance to understand the rules and how to apply.
\nIf you’re applying for this item as part of a Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT) application, you must read the CSHT applicant’s guide to understand the rules and how to apply.
£20.59 per metre (m). The payment rate is for the total length of boundary under creation, not for each side of the boundary.
\n\nCreating an earth bank where one previously existed provides a valuable habitat for wildlife and conserves a traditional landscape.
\n\nThis item can help you protect, recover and improve biodiversity on your land.
\n\nYou can use this item:
\n\nYou must:
\n\nYou must not:
\n\nYou must keep and provide historic maps or other records with your application – this can be your Farm Environment Record. They must show either the proposed location of the bank creation is:
\n\nYou must keep photographs during and after work has been completed and provide these with your claim.
\n\nYou must also keep and provide on request:
\n\nRead the record keeping and site visit requirements in the Agreement holder’s guide: Capital Grants, Higher Tier capital grants and Protection and Infrastructure grants for more information.
\n\nIf you’re applying for this item as part of a Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT) application, you must read the record keeping and site visit requirements in the CSHT agreement holder’s guide.
\n\nYou can use this item with these items:
\n\n\n\nTE1: Planting standard hedgerow tree
\n\n","change_history":[{"note":"Updated links to guidance for Capital Grants and Agreement holder's guide from 2025 to 2026.","public_timestamp":"2026-05-28T10:28:22Z"},{"note":"General improvement for clarity.","public_timestamp":"2025-02-03T11:16:23Z"},{"note":"Updated Where to use this item and how much will be paid.","public_timestamp":"2021-03-09T12:11:57Z"},{"note":"Updated for 2017 applications.","public_timestamp":"2017-03-07T16:52:58Z"},{"note":"Information updated for applications in 2016.","public_timestamp":"2016-03-29T11:13:28Z"},{"note":"First published.","public_timestamp":"2015-04-02T11:04:31Z"}],"headers":[{"id":"how-much-youll-be-paid","level":2,"text":"How much you'll be paid "},{"id":"how-this-item-benefits-the-environment","level":2,"text":"How this item benefits the environment"},{"id":"where-you-can-use-this-item","level":2,"text":"Where you can use this item "},{"id":"what-you-must-do-to-use-this-item","level":2,"text":"What you must do to use this item"},{"id":"evidence-you-must-keep","level":2,"text":"Evidence you must keep "},{"id":"other-capital-items-you-can-use-with-this-item","level":2,"text":"Other capital items you can use with this item"}],"max_cache_time":10,"metadata":{"grant_type":"capital-item","land_use":["biodiversity","boundaries","uplands"]},"temporary_update_type":false},"document_type":"countryside_stewardship_grant","first_published_at":"2015-04-02T12:04:31+01:00","links":{"available_translations":[{"api_path":"/api/content/countryside-stewardship-grants/earth-bank-creation-bn3","api_url":"https://www.gov.uk/api/content/countryside-stewardship-grants/earth-bank-creation-bn3","base_path":"/countryside-stewardship-grants/earth-bank-creation-bn3","content_id":"31419478-249d-456c-b46e-e52f81ccdf79","document_type":"countryside_stewardship_grant","links":{},"locale":"en","public_updated_at":"2026-05-28T10:28:22Z","schema_name":"specialist_document","title":"BN3: Earth bank creation ","web_url":"https://www.gov.uk/countryside-stewardship-grants/earth-bank-creation-bn3","withdrawn":false}],"finder":[{"api_path":"/api/content/capital-grant-finder","api_url":"https://www.gov.uk/api/content/capital-grant-finder","base_path":"/capital-grant-finder","content_id":"0eb7b150-879a-4c44-becc-718e23a77e2c","details":{"facets":[{"allowed_values":[{"label":"Capital item","value":"capital-item"},{"label":"Supplement","value":"supplement"}],"display_as_result_metadata":false,"filterable":true,"key":"grant_type","name":"Grant type","preposition":"of type","type":"text"},{"allowed_values":[{"label":"Air quality","value":"air-quality"},{"label":"Arable land","value":"arable-land"},{"label":"Biodiversity","value":"biodiversity"},{"label":"Boundaries","value":"boundaries"},{"label":"Coast","value":"coast"},{"label":"Educational access","value":"educational-access"},{"label":"Flood risk","value":"flood-risk"},{"label":"Grassland","value":"grassland"},{"label":"Historic environment","value":"historic-environment"},{"label":"Livestock management","value":"livestock-management"},{"label":"Organic land","value":"organic-land"},{"label":"Priority habitats","value":"priority-habitats"},{"label":"Trees (non-woodland)","value":"trees-non-woodland"},{"label":"Uplands","value":"uplands"},{"label":"Vegetation control","value":"vegetation-control"},{"label":"Water quality","value":"water-quality"},{"label":"Pollinators and wildlife","value":"wildlife-package"},{"label":"Woodland","value":"woodland"}],"display_as_result_metadata":false,"filterable":true,"key":"land_use","name":"Areas of interest","preposition":"with","type":"text"}],"index_documents_in_search_engines":true,"show_metadata_block":true,"show_table_of_contents":true},"document_type":"finder","links":{},"locale":"en","public_updated_at":"2026-04-09T09:03:44Z","schema_name":"finder","title":"Capital grant finder","web_url":"https://www.gov.uk/capital-grant-finder","withdrawn":false}],"organisations":[{"analytics_identifier":"EA58","api_path":"/api/content/government/organisations/rural-payments-agency","api_url":"https://www.gov.uk/api/content/government/organisations/rural-payments-agency","base_path":"/government/organisations/rural-payments-agency","content_id":"e8fae147-6232-4163-a3f1-1c15b755a8a4","details":{"acronym":"RPA","brand":"department-for-environment-food-rural-affairs","default_news_image":null,"logo":{"crest":"single-identity","formatted_title":"Rural Payments