{"analytics_identifier":null,"base_path":"/countryside-stewardship-grants/earth-banks-and-soil-bunds-rp9","content_id":"a3590ac9-1d80-42c4-aa57-10fd60b35ce2","description":"Find out about eligibility and requirements for the earth banks and soil bunds item.","details":{"body":"<div class=\"example\">\n  <p>This item is part of Capital Grants 2026. You must read the <a href=\"https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/capital-grants-2026\">Capital Grants 2026 guidance</a> to understand the rules and how to apply.<br><br>\nIf you’re applying for this item as part of a Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT) application, you must read the <a href=\"https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/countryside-stewardship-higher-tier-csht\">CSHT applicant’s guide</a> to understand the rules and how to apply.</p>\n</div>\n\n<h2 id=\"how-much-youll-be-paid\">How much you’ll be paid </h2>\n\n<p>£195.61 for each unit (a unit is 100 metres of bund).</p>\n\n<h2 id=\"how-this-item-benefits-the-environment\">How this item benefits the environment</h2>\n\n<p>You can use an earth bank or soil bund to:</p>\n\n<ul>\n  <li>slow the movement of water, protecting streams and rivers from pollutants</li>\n  <li>slow flows during high rainfall and reduce downstream flooding</li>\n  <li>control water levels to aid raised water levels for habitat creation and restoration</li>\n  <li>retain surface water runoff and allow increased groundwater recharge (the capture and storage of groundwater)</li>\n</ul>\n\n<p>This item can help you protect, recover and improve biodiversity on your land.</p>\n\n<h2 id=\"where-you-can-use-this-item\">Where you can use this item </h2>\n\n<p>You can use this item on sites identified in either a feasibility study, implementation plan or a Catchment Sensitive Farming water holding structure action plan developed with Natural England or the Forestry Commission.</p>\n\n<p>You can use this item either: </p>\n\n<ul>\n  <li>with actions or options to create, restore or manage habitats or features with the approval of your Natural England adviser (or a Forestry Commission woodland officer in woodland)</li>\n  <li>in areas targeted to reduce water pollution from agriculture</li>\n</ul>\n\n<p><a href=\"https://www.gov.uk/guidance/catchment-sensitive-farming-reduce-agricultural-water-pollution\">Catchment Sensitive Farming</a> provides advice where there are water quality or flood risk issues linked to farming.  </p>\n\n<p>You’ll need to get any necessary consents from the <a href=\"https://www.gov.uk/guidance/check-if-you-need-an-environmental-permit\">Environment Agency</a>, <a href=\"https://www.gov.uk/find-local-council\">local council</a> or <a rel=\"external\" href=\"https://www.ada.org.uk/member_type/idbs/\">internal drainage board</a> before you start any work.</p>\n\n<p>You must also contact your local planning authority to check if planning permission is required to carry out the planned work.</p>\n\n<p>Your <a rel=\"external\" href=\"https://hefer-data.org.uk/\">Historic Environment Farm Environment Record</a> (HEFER) will identify:</p>\n\n<ul>\n  <li>scheduled monuments</li>\n  <li>registered parks and gardens</li>\n  <li>registered battlefields</li>\n  <li>Selected Heritage Inventory for Natural England (SHINE) sites</li>\n</ul>\n\n<p>You must not use this item on scheduled monuments, registered parks and gardens or registered battlefields without written approval from Historic England.</p>\n\n<p>You must not use this item on SHINE sites without written approval from <a rel=\"external\" href=\"https://www.algao.org.uk/algao-uk/orgs\">your local authority historic environment adviser</a>.</p>\n\n<h2 id=\"what-you-must-do-to-use-this-item\">What you must do to use this item</h2>\n\n<p>You must complete the construction as set out in your feasibility study or implementation plan, or your Catchment Sensitive Farming water holding structure action plan.</p>\n\n<h2 id=\"evidence-you-must-keep\">Evidence you must keep </h2>\n\n<p>You must keep and provide with your claim: </p>\n\n<ul>\n  <li>photographs of the site during the different stages of construction or contracts, invoices or other documents confirming the technical specification for the completed works</li>\n  <li>photographs of the completed work</li>\n  <li>any consents or permissions connected with the work</li>\n</ul>\n\n<p>You must also keep and provide on request:</p>\n\n<ul>\n  <li>receipted invoices or bank statements where a receipted invoice is unavailable</li>\n  <li>photographs of site before works start</li>\n  <li>a copy of the feasibility study, implementation plan or a Catchment Sensitive Farming water holding structure action plan developed with Natural England</li>\n</ul>\n\n<p>Read the record keeping and site visit requirements in the <a href=\"https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/agreement-holders-guide-capital-grants-higher-tier-capital-grants-and-protection-and-infrastructure-grants-2026\">Agreement holder’s guide: Capital Grants, Higher Tier capital grants and Protection and Infrastructure grants</a> for more information.</p>\n\n<p>If you’re applying for this item as part of a Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT) application, read the record keeping and site visit requirements in the <a href=\"https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/countryside-stewardship-higher-tier-csht\">CSHT agreement holder’s guide</a>.</p>\n\n<h2 id=\"other-items-you-can-use-with-this-item\">Other items you can use with this item</h2>\n\n<p>You can use this item with these items:</p>\n\n<p><a href=\"https://www.gov.uk/countryside-stewardship-grants/sediment-ponds-and-traps-rp7\">RP7: Sediment ponds and traps</a></p>\n\n<p><a href=\"https://www.gov.uk/countryside-stewardship-grants/swales-rp11\">RP11: Swales</a></p>\n\n<h2 id=\"advice-to-help-you-use-this-item\">Advice to help you use this item</h2>\n\n<p>The following advice may help you to use this item, but you do not have to follow it to get paid. It’s not part of this item’s requirements.   </p>\n\n<h3 id=\"picking-a-location\">Picking a location</h3>\n\n<p>Use this to improve water quality, position bunds or banks to intercept run-off on or around:</p>\n\n<ul>\n  <li>tracks</li>\n  <li>small and lightly contaminated yards</li>\n  <li>hard standing</li>\n  <li>the bottom of slopes or the base of gulleys</li>\n  <li>runoff flow pathways</li>\n</ul>\n\n<p>This item also works on grassland and arable fields, either on their own or to support buffer strips.</p>\n\n<h3 id=\"designing-and-constructing-the-earth-bank-or-soil-bund\">Designing and constructing the earth bank or soil bund</h3>\n\n<p>Details of the design and construction of the earth bank or soil bund will be in your study or plan. You’re likely to need to:</p>\n\n<ul>\n  <li>form infiltration basins into ‘V’, ‘U’ or ‘C’ shapes</li>\n  <li>measure bunds in a continuous length of 100 metres (m) per unit with up to a 250 square metre (m<sup>2</sup>) runoff store</li>\n  <li>dig down 0.8m in depth</li>\n  <li>grade side slopes to no more than 1 in 3</li>\n  <li>where used for natural flood management, ensure half the stored water can empty within 24 hours</li>\n  <li>compact the soil when damp to strengthen the structure</li>\n  <li>plant grass species  in banks that can withstand wet and dry conditions</li>\n  <li>establish vegetation on the basin floor to reduce sediment erosion</li>\n  <li>build bay silt traps where soil erosion is high to stop the basin from becoming blocked</li>\n  <li>regularly remove excess sediment from banks and bunds, reapplying it back to the field and making sure you monitor the nutrient status</li>\n  <li>contact the Environment Agency to check if a waste exemption is required</li>\n</ul>\n\n<h3 id=\"enhancing-buffer-strips\">Enhancing buffer strips</h3>\n\n<p>To enhance buffer strips, you should:</p>\n\n<ul>\n  <li>place soil bunds at the field edge of buffer strips (to slow runoff)</li>\n  <li>build bunds 300 millimetres (mm) to 500mm high by 600mm to 1000mm wide</li>\n  <li>place larger bunds where complex field slopes divert runoff to pinch points</li>\n</ul>\n\n<h3 id=\"establishing-soil-bunds\">Establishing soil bunds</h3>\n\n<p>Compact down soil bunds and then sow a seed mixture at a rate of 24g per m<sup>2</sup>. </p>\n\n<p>Form the seed mix from grass, legumes and wildflowers. For example:</p>\n\n<ul>\n  <li>creeping red fescue (70%)</li>\n  <li>smooth meadowgrass (20%)</li>\n  <li>creeping bent (10%)</li>\n</ul>\n\n<h3 id=\"building-weirs-and-outlets\">Building weirs and outlets</h3>\n\n<p>Weirs and outlets can be built into the design as they can discharge more water than pipes and are less likely to block up.</p>\n\n<p>Direct the water on to stones or boulders to slow flow for piped overflows, or weirs in ditches and ponds.</p>\n","change_history":[{"note":"Updated links to guidance for Capital Grants and Agreement holder's guide from 2025 to 2026.","public_timestamp":"2026-05-28T10:05:52Z"},{"note":"Amended item - you can now use this item:\r\n\r\n- to reduce flood risk\r\n- in catchments where permeable soils and geology allow for the recharge of groundwater","public_timestamp":"2025-02-03T11:55:54Z"},{"note":"Added in links to Capital Grants manual as this option is now available for Capital Grants","public_timestamp":"2021-01-31T17:30:39Z"},{"note":"Information updated for applications in 2016\r\n","public_timestamp":"2016-03-29T15:17:52Z"},{"note":"First published.","public_timestamp":"2015-04-02T10:51:40Z"}],"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-items-you-can-use-with-this-item","level":2,"text":"Other items you can use with this item"},{"headers":[{"id":"picking-a-location","level":3,"text":"Picking a location"},{"id":"designing-and-constructing-the-earth-bank-or-soil-bund","level":3,"text":"Designing and constructing the earth bank or soil 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