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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.

Published 17 April 2015
Last updated 25 November 2019 — see all updates
From:
Rural Payments Agency, Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, and Natural England

Latest news

How you contact us about Environmental Stewardship is changing

From 1 July, 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.

This means Natural England National Enquiries will no longer accept calls or emails about Environmental Stewardship.

All other email addresses and phone numbers used previously will be unavailable and any customers calling direct lines will be asked to contact the Customer Service Centre.

In addition to our existing security measures, this change will keep your information safe.

What do I need to do now?

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, or sign in through GOV.UK Verify, 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

  1. Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) 2020 agreement extension
    • Guidance
  2. Agreement holders’ information: Environmental Stewardship
    • Guidance
  3. Changes to digital maps that may affect stewardship and forestry scheme agreements
    • Guidance
  4. Inspection: Countryside Stewardship and Environmental Stewardship
    • Guidance
  5. Additions, transfers and option changes to existing agreements: Environmental Stewardship
    • Guidance
  6. Educational access visits on your land: Environmental Stewardship
    • Guidance
  7. Hot and dry weather conditions in England
    • Guidance
  8. How to get paid under an agreement: Environmental Stewardship
    • Guidance
  9. How HS2 affects payments for stewardship scheme agreements
    • Guidance
  10. HS2 information for farmers and growers
    • Guidance
  11. Temporary Prescription Adjustments
    • Guidance

Forms: all scheme levels

Forms: Entry Level Stewardship (ELS), Organic ELS and Uplands ELS

Forms: Higher Level Stewardship

Published 17 April 2015
Last updated 25 November 2019 + show all updates

  1. Added Environmental Stewardship Scheme query form

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

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

  4. Information updated following 15 May deadline.

  5. Information published about Drop-in centres.

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

  7. Deadline for late applications and amendments has passed.

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

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

  10. Guidance for agreement holders affected by HS2.

  11. First published.

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