CT2: Creation of coastal sand dunes and vegetated shingle on arable land and improved grassland

Find out about eligibility and requirements for the creation of coastal sand dunes and vegetated shingle on arable land and improved grassland option.

From:
Rural Payments Agency and Natural England
Published
2 April 2015
Last updated
4 January 2024 — See all updates
Grant type:
Option
Land use:
Biodiversity, Coast, Priority habitats
Tiers or standalone items:
Higher Tier
Funding (per unit per year):
More than £500

How much will be paid

£773 per hectare (ha).

How long this option lasts

This option runs for 10 years, not the standard 5 years for the scheme, in recognition of the level of management change involved.

Where to use this option

It is available for Higher Tier on whole or part parcels which are non-rotational, on land next to existing sand dunes or shingle that is either:

  • arable land
  • improved grassland

Where this option cannot be used

To create sand dunes and coastal vegetated shingle in the following situations:

  • as compensation, planning consent condition or other Habitat Regulations requirement
  • if the work is necessary as part of a planning permission condition
  • on land that has previously received 20 years’ agri-environment funding for coastal habitat creation

Features that can be included in this option

You can include the following features if they are part of the land, even if they are not eligible for the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS):

  • scrub
  • open water
  • bare ground

How this option will benefit the environment

It creates sand dunes and coastal vegetated shingle on arable land or improved grassland locations that were:

  • once part of sand dune or shingle systems
  • next to active sand dune or shingle systems

If successful, developing features will include:

  • sand dunes and vegetated shingle
  • transition areas (transitions between shingle and dune and nearby habitats)
  • the specialised and local species that sand dunes and vegetated shingle in the area support

Requirements

You must:

  • provide or maintain areas of bare ground
  • carry out extensive grazing (or cutting if grazing is not possible) to encourage vegetation mosaics
  • allow natural and dynamic coastal changes, such as changes due to storms or windblow (deposits of windblown sand)
  • control scrub or other invasive plant species
  • agree all drainage works, including modification to existing drainage, in writing with Natural England before you carry out any works

The agreement will set out what you must not do but it’s likely that you will not be allowed to:

  • use fertilisers or manures
  • use supplementary feed
  • apply any lime
  • plough, cultivate or re-seed

Keeping records

You must send the following with your application:

  • a map of permitted access routes – you can mark these on any map, including the Farm Environment Record (FER)

On your annual payment claim you must declare that you have not carried out any activities prohibited by the option requirements.

You must keep the following records and supply them on request:

  • receipted invoices, consents or permissions connected with the work
  • field operations at the parcel level, including associated invoices
  • stock records to show grazing activity on parcels

You can locate the following options and supplements on the same area as this option:

Advice and suggestions for how to carry out this option

The following advice is helpful, but they are not requirements for this item.

Dunes and shingle are important elements of coastal landscapes, with active processes creating variation in their structure. These coastal systems also act as an important form of natural sea defence, so play a significant part in adaptation to climate change. Allow sand and shingle to accumulate or migrate inland following storms and other coastal processes.

While dune vegetation is establishing on the rollback areas some light grazing or cutting may be appropriate, but you should monitor this very carefully to avoid damage. Once dune vegetation is established grazing is encouraged on most sites, but is not mandatory in all cases. Where dune grazing is not possible, a selective cutting regime is an acceptable alternative. On many shingle sites, neither grazing nor cutting is appropriate, but this option may still be used where the shingle forms part of a wider coastal system (see below). You should keep any seaweed or driftwood accumulations.

Biodiversity

This option has been identified as being beneficial for biodiversity. All Countryside Stewardship habitat creation, restoration and management options are of great significance for biodiversity recovery, as are the wide range of arable options in the scheme. Capital items and supplements can support this habitat work depending on the holding’s situation and potential.

The connectivity of habitats is also very important and habitat options should be linked wherever possible. Better connectivity will allow wildlife to move/colonise freely to access water, food, shelter and breeding habitat, and will allow natural communities of both animals and plants to adapt in response to environmental and climate change.

Further information

Read Countryside Stewardship: get funding to protect and improve the land you manage to find out more information about Higher Tier including how to apply.

Published 2 April 2015
Last updated 4 January 2024 + show all updates

  1. Update to How Much Is Paid

  2. New payment rate from 1 January 2022.

  3. The Keeping records section of this page has been updated.

  4. Updated for 2017 applications.

  5. Information updated for applications in 2016.

  6. First published.

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