SCR1: Create scrub and open habitat mosaics (updated for SFI26)
What you must do to get paid for this SFI26 action and advice on how to do it.
This is a Sustainable Farming Incentive 2026 (SFI26) action. Read the SFI26 scheme information to understand what you’re required to do under an SFI26 agreement and how to apply.
Select ‘See all updates’ at the start of this page to find out how this action has changed for SFI26 compared with SFI24.
For SFI24 actions, read the SFI24 agreement holder’s information.
Duration
3 years
How much you’ll be paid
£588 per hectare (ha) per year
Action’s aim
This action’s aim is that there’s a mosaic of scrub, grasses and other flowering plants with:
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scrub cover allowed to develop, and managed so the mosaic is maintained
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a variety of species, heights, and structure
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growing trees and deadwood, where relevant
The purpose of this is to:
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provide pollen and nectar sources for beneficial insects, such as bumble bees, solitary bees and butterflies
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provide food and habitats for birds and mammals
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improve the quality of woodland edges and transitions between other habitats
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protect soils and watercourses by reducing soil erosion
Where you can do this action
You can do this action on land located below the moorland line that’s:
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got existing scrub cover on less than 10% of its area
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an eligible land type (as defined in section 5.1.1 ‘Eligible land types’ in the SFI26 scheme information)
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registered with an eligible land cover on your digital maps
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declared with a land use code that’s compatible with the eligible land cover
This action is not suitable for:
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peatland, because creating scrub could damage it
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land used by breeding waders, because they need open grassland habitat
Eligible land
| Eligible land type | Eligible land cover | Compatible land use code | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arable land used to grow crops | Arable land | Land use codes for arable crops or leguminous and nitrogen-fixing crops | |
| Temporary grassland | Arable land | TG01 | |
| Arable land lying fallow | Arable land | FA01 | |
| Permanent crops – horticultural | Permanent crops | TC01 | |
| Improved permanent grassland | Permanent grassland | PG01 | |
| Scrub | Scrub – ungrazeable | WO25 | |
| Scrub | Notional – scrub | NF03 |
Eligibility of protected land
Sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs): Ineligible – you must not enter any area that’s designated as an SSSI into this action.
Historic and archaeological features: Ineligible – you must not enter any area that contains an historic or archaeological feature into this action. This only affects the area where the feature is located in a land parcel. You can apply for this action on the remaining area in the land parcel if it’s eligible.
Available area you can enter into this action
Total or part of the available area in a land parcel. It’s your responsibility to check that the area you enter is eligible for this action.
You must do this action on the area entered into your SFI26 agreement. If something happens which means you cannot complete this action on some or all of the area, you must tell the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) in writing as soon as possible. Read section 12.2 ‘What to do if you cannot comply with your agreement’ in the SFI26 scheme information to find out how to do this.
Rotational or static action
This action is static. This means you must do it at the same location each year of this action’s duration.
What to do
You must manage the area entered into this action in a way that can reasonably be expected to achieve this action’s aim, including:
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allowing scrub to regenerate naturally or by planting a variety of native scrub species, or a combination of both, so scrub cover develops on between 10% and 60% of the area
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controlling wild herbivores to allow scrub to develop and establish
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leaving any standing and fallen deadwood in place, if it’s safe to do so
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leaving any mature and veteran trees in place, if it’s safe to do so
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making sure tree guards do not damage growing trees, and removing them once trees are established
You must not:
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cut vegetation, unless it’s to control injurious weeds and invasive non-native species including non-native trees, soft and hard rush, nettles or bracken
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graze with livestock
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apply fertilisers, manures or lime
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apply pesticides, except for herbicides, to weed wipe or spot treat to control injurious weeds, invasive non-native species, nettles or bracken
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plough, cultivate, re-seed, harrow or roll
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release gamebirds
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use supplementary feed for game birds
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carry out drainage works or change existing drainage, without written permission before work starts
When to do it
You must do this action each year of its 3-year duration.
How to do it
It’s up to you how you do this action, as long as you:
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follow this action’s requirements – these are identified by a ‘must’
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do the action in a way that could reasonably be expected to achieve this action’s aim
You may find it helpful to read the ‘advice to help you do this action’, but it’s not part of this action’s requirements.
Evidence to keep
You must keep evidence to show what you’ve done to complete this action, such as:
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field operations at a land parcel level and associated invoices
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photographs or other documentation
If it’s not clear that you’ve done this action in a way that could reasonably be expected to achieve its aim, we may ask for this evidence. You must supply the evidence if we ask for it.
Other actions or options you can do on the same area as this action
You can do the following actions or options on the same area in a land parcel as this action.
| Scheme | Action or option codes | |
|---|---|---|
| SFI 2026 actions | No SFI 2026 revenue actions | |
| SFI 2024 actions | CIPM1, CNUM1, CSAM1 | |
| SFI 2023 actions | IPM1, NUM1, SAM1 | |
| CSHT actions from 2025 | CPAC1, CSP13, CSP14, CSP15, CSP20, CSP21, CSP9, CWS1, CWS3 | |
| CS options | No CS revenue options | |
| ES options | No ES revenue options |
If an action or option cannot be located on the same area, you may be able to do it on a different area in the same land parcel. Read section 5.6 ‘Land that’s already in other funding schemes or grants’ in the SFI26 scheme information for more details.
You can do the following actions or options on the eligible boundaries of a land parcel entered into this action:
- SFI 2026 actions: CHRW2, BND1, BND2 and WBD2
- SFI 2024 actions: CHRW1, CHRW2, CHRW3, BND1, BND2 and WBD2
- SFI 2023 actions: HRW1, HRW2, HRW3
- CSHT actions: CHRW4
- CS options: BE3 (management of hedgerows)
Advice to help you do this action
The following advice may help you to do this action, but it’s not part of this action’s requirements.
Choosing a location
You can create scrub on a range of soil types. It will grow in unmanaged areas close to areas of trees and shrubs, where there is an existing seed source.
You can create scrub at most locations, but it can work well:
- on field corners
- alongside woodland edges or hedgerows
- on land which is difficult to graze
Allowing scrub to regenerate naturally
The simplest way to create scrub and open habitat mosaics is to allow them to regenerate naturally (natural colonisation).
Allowing scrub to regenerate naturally works best where existing areas of scrub (like hedgerows and woodland scrub) can spread.
Natural colonisation may not work if, for example, there’s:
- no local seed source (like trees or scrub that are left to set seed)
- a lot of dense, rank (overgrown and tussocky) vegetation like bracken
You can allow native scrub species to develop that will be less than around 5 metres tall, such as:
- hawthorn
- bramble
- blackthorn
- hazel
- dog and field rose
- low growing willow species
If you have calcareous soils, species could include:
- box
- privet
- buckthorn
- dogwood
Acid soils often have gorse or broom.
Planting native scrub species
You can plant a variety of native scrub species:
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to increase the diversity of shrub species – so you do a combination of natural colonisation and planting
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if natural colonisation is unlikely to mean that scrub cover develops on at least 10% of the area entered into this action by the end of this action’s duration
You can plant the native scrub species between November and March. Try to:
- choose a wide range of native species that suit the location
- mix species randomly
- plant in clumps and leave unplanted gaps – this will create open ground as part of the mosaic
If you’re intending to create scrub by planting or allowing natural colonisation of tree species, check if it falls under the Forestry Commission’s definition of ‘woodland’. If it does, you may need to apply for a forestry environmental impact assessment.
Planting nursery-grown stock is the easiest method, but it can be expensive. Alternatively, you can spread seed. This is cheaper than planting, but it will take longer to establish.
Find out where you can get plants and seeds from.
Managing the scrub
You may find it helpful to read Natural England’s guidance on the management of scrub.
Updates to this page
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Added 'Advice to help you do this action' section.
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The following changes have been made to this action for SFI26 (compared with the SFI24 version): • this action now has a 3-year duration – this only applies to SFI26 agreements, not existing SFI24 agreements • updated wording to explain land which is not suitable for this action (see ‘Where you can do this action’ – this only applies to SFI26 agreements, not existing SFI24 agreements • minor updates to standard wording which appears in all area-based SFI actions – see ‘Eligibility of protected land’ and ‘Available area you can enter into this action’
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Where you can do this action - an eligible land type is defined in section 5.1 ‘Eligible land types for SFI’ in the SFI scheme information. Eligibility of protected land - you can apply for this action on the area in a land parcel that does not contain an historic or archaeological feature. Published voluntary advice to help you do this action, but it's not part of this action’s requirements.
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First published.