Guidance

CSHT application checklist

Updated 21 July 2026

Applies to England

You must read the Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT) applicant’s guide before you apply.

You may find it helpful to use this checklist to make sure you’ve completed all the steps in the application process. Each step is explained in the CSHT applicants’ guide.

1. Check which application route applies to you:

𘚭    Expression of interest for agroforestry, woodland improvement or single-focus applications.

or

𘚭    Invitation for pre-application advice for agri-environment applications.

---

1.1 Expression of interest

𘚭	Agroforestry application – you have an approved agroforestry plan, and you have already planted trees on the land you intend to apply for.

𘚭	Woodland improvement application – you have an approved woodland management plan, and relevant approved species management plans (if required).

𘚭	Single-focus application for species-rich grassland – you meet the requirements of, and will only apply for, CGS22: Manage priority habitat species-rich grassland. You will not include or create upland calcareous or calaminarian grassland in the land you intend to apply for.

𘚭	Single-focus application for scheduled monument management – you have a scheduled monument on the land you are applying for, and you will only apply for up to 5 eligible actions (CHS2, CHS3, CHS4, CSH5 or CHS9).

𘚭	Complete the online expression of interest form. You’ll need to add your email address at the end of the form if you want to receive a confirmation email and a copy of your answers.

1.2 Invitation for pre-application advice for agri-environment applications

𘚭    Wait until you have been invited to receive pre-application advice if you’re in one of the following groups:

• Your existing Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier agreement expires on 31 December 2026, or your HLS agreement expires before 31 March 2027.

• You have completed preparatory work agreed with Natural England.

---

𘚭	Accept the invitation to confirm you’re ready to start the pre-application process.

𘚭	Work with your Natural England adviser to identify suitable actions and capital items. Check if you need any supporting plans (such as a species management plan).

2. Check eligibility

𘚭	Confirm you are a farmer, forester or land manager and you have management control over your land for the duration of an agreement.

𘚭	If you’re a tenant, check you can apply for CSHT and your tenancy extends for the duration of a CSHT agreement, or you have your landlord’s written consent and commitment to complete the agreement.

𘚭	Confirm your land is entirely in England and meets CSHT eligibility criteria.

3. Prepare any required plans 

𘚭	Apply for capital grants to help prepare plans if needed.

𘚭	Complete and get approval for any required plans before submitting an expression of interest or applying for CSHT

𘚭	Include these plans in your application – you do not need to include them in your expression of interest, but you will need to provide approved plan reference numbers.

𘚭	Woodland applicants: you must include an approved woodland management plan.

𘚭	Agroforestry applicants: you must include an approved agroforestry plan.

4. Register and check your details 

𘚭	Register with the Rural Payments service.

𘚭	Make sure your contact details are up to date.

𘚭	Make sure land parcels are correctly mapped and registered.

𘚭	Make sure land use is compatible with land cover on each land parcel.

𘚭	Make sure the land use area matches the land cover area on each land parcel.

𘚭	Set permissions so you (or your agent) can apply.

5. Select actions and capital items

5.1 Expression of interest applicants

𘚭	Only select the actions you’ve expressed an interest in – you can include any supplemental actions or capital items you’ve agreed with your adviser.

5.2 Agri-environment applicants

𘚭	Select actions using the Find funding for land or farms tool – only select what you’ve agreed with your adviser.

𘚭	Select capital items using the Capital grant finder tool – only select what you’ve agreed with your adviser.

𘚭	Make sure selected actions or capital items are compatible with other schemes and do not result in double funding.

6. Apply online 

𘚭	Following adviser checks, wait to be invited to apply.

𘚭	Follow the 4 steps in the online application.

𘚭	Download a copy of your application summary before you submit your application if you want to save or print it.

𘚭	Provide supporting documents by attaching and replying to your invitation email.

7. Get any necessary consents or licences 

𘚭	Check if you need consents or licences (such as Scheduled Monument Consent, site of special scientific interest (SSSI) consent, planning permission, wildlife licences, or tree felling or abstraction licences).

𘚭	Get any required SSSI consent after you have accepted your CSHT agreement.

𘚭	Get consent before starting any work.

8. After submitting your application

𘚭	Wait for your agreement offer from the RPA before you start work.

𘚭	Accept the agreement offer and note the start and end dates.

𘚭	Notify the RPA of rotational action updates.

𘚭	Make sure you complete your annual declaration to get paid.

𘚭	Claim for capital items separately.

𘚭	Keep records and evidence of work under your agreement for at least 7 years.