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.
£2.75 per square metre (m2).
\n\nA floating cover for slurry and on-farm anaerobic digestate stores and lagoons helps reduce the volume of slurry you need to store and spread. It also improves air quality by reducing ammonia emissions.
\n\nThis item can help you protect, recover and improve biodiversity on your land.
\n\nYou can only use this item with support from Catchment Sensitive Farming:
\n\nBefore you start any work, you must get advice from the Environment Agency to check what’s required as new and significantly altered stores will have to meet the silage, slurry and agricultural fuel oil (SSAFO) regulations 2010.
\n\nYou’ll need to get relevant advice, consents or permits from the Environment Agency before starting any work.
\n\nYou must also contact your local planning authority to check if planning permission is needed.
\n\nYou must:
\n\nYou must keep written support from your Catchment Sensitive Farming adviser and provide this with your application.
\n\nYou must also keep and provide with your claim:
\n\nIf you do not need consent or permission from your local planning authority, you must provide evidence to show this. This can be a:
\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, read the record keeping and site visit requirements in the CSHT agreement holder’s guide.
\n\nThe 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.
\n\nCheck to make sure the work meets relevant British Standards.
\n\nThe slurry stores should meet the silage, slurry and agricultural fuel oil (SSAFO) regulations 2010 regulations which cover the design, construction and maintenance of the stores.
\n\nDrains should take rainwater from the cover and transport it to clean water ditches and drains. The drains need to prevent the rainwater from mixing with slurry or digestate. You may need a pump to help transport the water.
\n\nRead about separating water and slurry at the Rivers Trust.
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