Guidance

Countryside Stewardship: Lowland Grazing Offer overview

Published 14 May 2021

Applies to England

What is the Lowland Grazing Offer?

The Lowland Grazing Offer is a package of selected Countryside Stewardship (CS) Mid-Tier options. It’s designed to help farmers and landowners choose different ways to provide year round habitats that will help pollinating insects, farmland birds, and other farm wildlife to thrive.

It’s quick and easy to apply:

• use the Rural Payments service to apply online
• the Lowland Grazing Offer is non-competitive

What are the benefits?

CS Lowland Grazing options provide:

• a range of options so you can choose those most relevant to your farm business and local priorities
• improved nectar sources for insect pollinators and foraging for birds
• additional winter-food sources for seed-eating birds
• improved habitats and other resources for a range of species including insects, amphibians and small mammals.

The Lowland Grazing Offer helps a farm business provide for the needs of farmland birds; helps pollinators to carry out their essential services of pollinating flowers and crops; it also helps to protect water courses. By selecting the Lowland Grazing Offer you will be building on the positive environmental work that many farm businesses have already undertaken.

In return, you’ll receive an annual payment for 5 years. The amount you receive depends on the options you choose.

Am I eligible?

To be eligible:

• you must be registered in the Rural Payments service
• your land must be registered in the Rural Payments service and linked to your Single Business Identifier (SBI) before you start your application
• your land must be permanent or temporary grassland. (You can include arable fields, but only hedgerow options can be located on these parcels)
• your chosen options must cover at least 3% of the farmed land in your agreement
• you must have full management control of the land for 5 years
• you must meet any minimum requirement for each category.

You will not be eligible to apply for the Lowland Grazing Offer using an SBI which has land:

• in an Environmental Stewardship agreement that ends after 1 January 2022
• that is subject to an Inheritance Tax exemption agreement with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC)
• with a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).

If you or the land linked to your SBI are not eligible for the Lowland Grazing Offer, or you want to do more than the options available such as capital works, management of organics, wetlands or other habitats, then you are advised to apply for CS Mid Tier or CS Higher Tier.

Dates for your diary

• Applications open in the Rural Payments service from 9 February 2021.
• Deadline to request a paper application pack by email or phone is 28 May 2021.
• Last date to request approval for management options for priority habitats and species is 31 May 2021.
• Deadline to request an application pack online in the Rural Payments service is 30 June 2021.
• Application deadline is 30 July 2021.

Which options do I choose?

You can complete an application with as few as 2 options, one from category 1 and one from category 2. However, you can choose as many of the 11 options as you like. The more you choose, the higher the total payment you will receive and the better it is for wildlife.

All options are paid for every hectare used, unless shown differently.

Important: check that your land is eligible as some options are only available on temporary or recently re-sown grassland. Search for ‘Countryside Stewardship Grants’ on GOV.UK.  

Category 1 – Nectar and pollen sources for insect pollinators and insect-rich foraging for birds

(minimum 2 ha per 100 ha of farmed land included in the agreement, no maximum)

Options	Option title	Payment rate per hectare (ha), per year
GS2	Permanent grassland with very low inputs (outside SDA)	£95
GS4	Legume and herb-rich swards	£309

Category 2 – Nesting and shelter for insect pollinators and birds

(minimum 500m of BE3 or 1 ha of GS1 per 100 ha farmed land included in the agreement, no maximum)

Option	Option title	Payment rate per hectare (ha), per year
BE3	Management of Hedgerows	£8/100m
GS1	Take field corners out of production (outside SDA)	£365

Category 3 – Optional additional resources and habitats

(no minimum or maximum, apart from individual option requirements)

Option	Option title	Payment rate per hectare (ha), per year
GS3	Ryegrass seed-set as winter/spring food for birds	£331
GS17	Lenient grazing supplement	£44
HS1	Maintenance of weatherproof traditional farm buildings	£3.25/m²
HS5	Management of historic and archaeological features on grassland	£30
SW2	4m - 6m buffer strip on intensive grassland	£170
WD7	Management of successional areas and scrub	£74
WT1	Buffering in-field ponds and ditches in improved grassland	£201

Useful Information

Look for the information at the top of each table to find out what you need to choose in each category. Read the CS Mid Tier and Wildlife Offers Manual available on GOV.UK before you start your application.

The Wildlife Offers are:

• Quick and easy
• Non-competitive
• Options that support local wildlife

How can I apply?

Apply online signing in using the link on the Rural Payments Agency page on GOV.UK. Search for Make or update a rural payments claim on GOV.UK

If you cannot apply online, call 03000 200 301 to discuss your options before 28 May 2021.

1. Choose your offer
2. Create an application online
3. Choose the land you want to include
4. Choose your options
5. Check you have completed your application including the declaration and submit
6. Gather any evidence and complete your Farm Environment Record (FER).

Make sure you read the Countryside Stewardship Mid Tier and Wildlife Offers Manual (especially Chapters 5,6 and 7 and Annex 1)

More information

What other Wildlife Offers are available?

The Wildlife Offers have been designed to help you choose the right options for your farm, and make it easier and simpler to apply for a Countryside Stewardship agreement. There are 3 other Wildlife Offers:

• Arable Offer
• Mixed Farming Offer
• Upland Offer

For more information search for ‘Wildlife Offers’ on GOV.UK

What else is available under Countryside Stewardship?

There are 3 main parts to the Countryside Stewardship scheme. These are:

• Mid Tier
• Higher Tier
• Capital only grants
  and include woodland support and water capital.

For more information, search for ‘Countryside Stewardship’ on GOV.UK.

Which options are best for your farm?

There are many different options available to help you improve the natural environment on your farm. To help find the right options for you, use the ‘Countryside Stewardship: grants information’ on GOV.UK. Search for ‘Countryside Stewardship grants’.

For more information search for ‘Wildlife Offers’ on GOV.UK