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Environmental Stewardship: guidance and forms for agreement holders

Use these documents to meet the requirements for an Entry Level Stewardship (ELS), Organic ELS, Uplands ELS or Higher Level Stewardship agreement.

From:
Rural Payments Agency, Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, and Natural England
Published
17 April 2015
Last updated
1 September 2023 — See all updates

How to contact us about Environmental Stewardship

If you want to contact us about Environmental Stewardship you can phone our Customer Service Centre on 03000 200 301 or email us at: ruralpayments@defra.gov.uk and include ‘Environmental Stewardship’ in the email subject line.

What do I need to do?

Sign in to the Rural Payments service and make sure your details are registered and up to date. We will use these details to confirm your identity when you contact us.

You will need your Customer Reference Number (CRN) and password, then:

  • update your email address
  • update your telephone numbers
  • update your business permission levels
  • add people to your business (with ‘View Business’ permissions, for example.)

For more information about what you can do in the Rural Payments service, go to the Rural Payments: registering and updating your details page.

If you need any help updating your details, please call us on 03000 200 301 and choose the ‘Rural Payments registration’ option.

Guidance

Forms: all scheme levels

Forms: Higher Level Stewardship

Published 17 April 2015
Last updated 1 September 2023 + show all updates

  1. Removed information about making an annual revenue claim as the final deadline was 31 August 2023.

  2. Addition of information about opening of revenue claims for 2023 and guidance about how to you can leave HLS early to apply for Countryside Stewardship.

  3. Addition of Intention to move between land management schemes to the forms section.

  4. Added guidance about extending HLS 2023 agreements. Removed guidance about extending HLS 2020 agreements. Added link to Hot and dry weather: temporary support for farmers in 2022 guidance.

  5. Publication of closure for ES annual revenue claims for 2022.

  6. Changes to the opening times of the RPA helpline

  7. Information added about RPA helpline weekend opening hours.

  8. Updated for claims opening in 2022.

  9. Edited latest news to confirm deadline of 11 June has passed and annual claims cannot be submitted now.

  10. Edited latest news following the deadline of 17 May passing. Updated wording and confirmed changes to RP service - transfers of land no longer available.

  11. Updated the Latest news 6 May 2021 to include a message about additional helpline opening times

  12. RPA helpline hours between Thursday 1 April and Tuesday 6 April.

  13. Opening of claims in 2021 - text and links updated.

  14. Under ‘Latest news’, removed section: ‘Extra month to claim for farm payments’

  15. Link added to news article regarding the 'Extra month to claim for farm payments'

  16. Added Environmental Stewardship Scheme query form

  17. Added the 'Minor and temporary adjustment (MTA) form: Countryside Stewardship and Environmental Stewardship' to the Forms section All Schemes

  18. Latest news item added to inform customers the way they contact us about Environmental Stewardship is changing from 1 July 2019

  19. Information updated following 15 May deadline.

  20. Information published about Drop-in centres.

  21. Link to guidance for those finding it difficult to meet scheme requirements due to hot and dry weather conditions.

  22. Deadline for late applications and amendments has passed.

  23. Deadline for late amendments to claims is 11 June.

  24. Deadline for late claims is 11 June 2018. Deadline for amendments to claims is 31 May.

  25. Guidance for agreement holders affected by HS2.

  26. First published.

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