Guidance

Annex 5: Actions to address water and air quality issues

Published 24 June 2021

Applies to England

List of options and capital items that improve water and air quality, either directly or indirectly.

The tables below show a list of options and capital items that improve water and air quality, either directly or indirectly. You can use these tables, along with the other information below, to identify the relevant options and capital items to address water and air quality priorities in your local area. Choosing the right options and capital items to reduce losses of key water pollutants and ammonia from your farm will help you to improve the quality of water and air on your farm, and in your local area.

To receive support and approval from a Catchment Sensitive Farming Officer (CSFO), the options and capital items you apply for must address the water or air pollutants identified as affecting that catchment or area. You will need to clearly show how the pollutants are currently reaching a watercourse or underground aquifer. In the case of air, you will need to identify where the ammonia emissions are coming from, and with both water and air you will need to show how the work you want to do will prevent these losses. CSFO support will be targeted at those farms where the largest improvements in water and air quality are likely to be achieved. The impact of a water pollutant or ammonia on a sensitive protected site will be considered as part of this.

You will need to show that you have included a suitable range of options and capital items to prevent the pollutant reaching a watercourse or the atmosphere, for example, rainwater goods and drainage to accompany yard concreting. In some cases work may be needed over a number of years, which means you may need to submit a number of applications. You will need to agree with your CSFO how this work is phased.

You may also need to think about other areas of the farm to make sure that you are addressing the pollutant. For example, if your work is aimed at reducing sediment you may need to think about reducing run off from fields. You may be able to do this by taking advice from a CSFO rather than, or as well as, using Countryside Stewardship options.

If you can show you meet these requirements and are able to offer clear improvements in water and air quality from using Countryside Stewardship water and air quality options and capital items, you should contact your local CSFO for support and approval. Make sure you contact your CSFO at least 6 weeks before you intend to submit your application otherwise there is no guarantee that your request will be considered.

1. Resources to help you choose the right option

  • If you live in an area where improving water and air quality is a high priority, you can get advice from Catchment Sensitive Farming (CSF). This gives advice on the appropriate use of the options and items to address water and air pollution, based on local priorities and issues.
  • You can find the water and air quality objectives for your local area in your local Statement of Priorities. If your application meets local water and air objectives you will receive a higher score.
  • You can use the Countryside Stewardship on-line tool to help you identify the types of options and capital items that you can use to address water and air quality priorities in the local area. You can access the Countryside Stewardship Online Tool by logging on to your Rural Payments account.

You can use the MAGIC website to find water and air quality information for your land. On the list in the Table of Contents, choose ‘Countryside Stewardship Targeting & Scoring Layers’, then ‘Water, and then ‘Countryside Stewardship Water Quality Priority Areas’. You can then make this layer transparent by using the slider under ‘Countryside Stewardship Targeting & Scoring Layers’. You will need to navigate to your land and then use the ‘Identify’ tool in order to check the information specific to your land parcels.

2. Capital items that address pollutant pressures affecting water and air quality and for flood and coastal risk

Option Code Faecal Indicator Organisms - Bathing waters Ground water priority areas- Nitrate Ground water priority areas - Pesticides Surface Water Pesticides Surface water - Nitrate Surface water (Phosphate+ Sediment) Flood and Coastal Risk Management and Physical Modification Air Quality (ammonia)
Nectar Flower mix AB1 No No No No No Yes No No
Beetle banks AB3 No No No No No Yes No Yes
Enhanced overwinter stubble AB6 No No Yes Yes No No No No
Flower-rich margins and plots AB8 No No No No No Yes No Yes
Unharvested cereal headland AB10 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Cultivated areas for arable plants AB11 No No Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes
Two year sown legume fallow AB15 No No Yes Yes No Yes No Yes
Automatic slurry scraper AQ1 No No No No No No No Yes
Low ammonia emission flooring for livestock buildings AQ2 No No No No No No No Yes
Two year sown legume fallow B15 No No Yes Yes No Yes No No
Hedgerow gapping-up BN7 No No No No No Yes Yes Yes
Planting new hedges BN11 No No No No No Yes Yes Yes
Take field corners out of management GS1 No No No No No Yes No Yes
Permanent grassland with very low inputs (outside SDA) GS2 Yes No No No Yes Yes No Yes
Legume and herb-rich swards GS4 No Yes No No Yes Yes Yes Yes
Permanent grassland with very low inputs in SDAs GS5 Yes No No No Yes No No Yes
Management of species rich grassland GS6 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes
Take historic and archaeological features currently on cultivated land out of cultivation HS2 No Yes No No Yes No No No
Organic conversion - improved permanent grassland OR1 No No Yes Yes No No No No
Organic conversion - unimproved permanent grassland OR2 No No Yes Yes No No No No
Organic conversion - rotational land OR3 No No Yes Yes No No No No
Organic conversion - horticulture OR4 No No Yes Yes No No No No
4- 6 m buffer strip on cultivated land SW1 No No No No No Yes No Yes
Seasonal livestock removal on grassland in SDAs next to streams, rivers and lakes SW10 Yes No No No Yes Yes Yes No
Riparian management strip SW11 Yes No No No Yes Yes Yes Yes
Nil fertiliser supplement SW14 No Yes No No Yes No No Yes
4 - 6 m buffer strip on intensive grassland SW2 No No No No No Yes No Yes
In-field grass strips SW3 No No No No No Yes Yes Yes
12-24m watercourse buffer strip on cultivated land SW4 No No No No No Yes Yes Yes
Enhanced management of maize crops SW5 No No No No No No Yes No
Winter cover crops SW6 No Yes No No Yes No Yes No
Arable reversion to grassland with low fertiliser input SW7 No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Management of intensive grassland adjacent to a watercourse SW8 Yes No No No Yes Yes Yes Yes
Seasonal livestock removal on intensive grassland SW9 Yes No No No Yes Yes Yes No
Planting standard hedgerow tree TE1 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Planting fruit trees TE3 No No No No No Yes Yes Yes
Supply and plant a tree TE4 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Supplement for use of individual tree-shelters TE5 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Woodland edges on arable land WD3 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Management of wood pasture and parkland WD4 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Buffering in- field ponds and ditches in improved grassland WT1 No No No Yes Yes Yes No Yes
Buffering in- field ponds and ditches in arable land WT2 No No No Yes Yes Yes No Yes
Livestock and machinery hardcore tracks RP4 Yes No No No No Yes No No
Livestock troughs LV7 Yes No No No No Yes Yes No
Above ground tanks RP18 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No
Bio filters RP26 No No Yes Yes No No No No
Check dams RP12 Yes No No No No Yes Yes No
Concrete yard renewal RP15 Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No Yes
Cross drains RP5 Yes No No No No Yes Yes No
Earth banks and soil bunds RP9 Yes No No No No Yes Yes No
Fencing FG1 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Sheep netting FG2 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Rabbit fencing supplement FG4 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Wooden field gate FG12 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
First flush rainwater diverters or downpipe filters RP19 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No
Floating covers for slurry and anaerobic digestate stores and lagoons RP30 Yes Yes No No Yes No No Yes
Gateway relocation RP2 Yes No No No No Yes Yes No
Hard bases for livestock drinkers LV3 Yes No No No No Yes Yes No
Hard bases for livestock feeders LV4 Yes No No No No Yes Yes No
Installation of livestock drinking troughs (in draining pens for freshly dipped sheep) RP23 No No Yes Yes No No No No
Installation of piped culverts in ditches RP6 Yes No No No No Yes No No
Lined bio bed plus pesticide loading and wash down area RP24 No No Yes Yes No No No No
Lined bio bed with existing wash down area RP25 No No Yes Yes No No No No
Pasture pumps and associated pipework LV5 Yes No No No No Yes Yes No
Permanent electric fencing FG3 Yes No No No No No No No
Pipework associated with livestock troughs LV8 Yes No No No No Yes Yes No
Rainwater goods RP16 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No
Ram pumps and associated pipework LV6 Yes No No No No Yes Yes No
Relocation of sheep dips and pens RP20 No No Yes Yes No No No No
Relocation of sheep pens only RP21 No No Yes Yes No No No No
Resurfacing of gateways RP1 No No No No No Yes No No
Roofing (sprayer wash down area, manure storage area, livestock gathering area, slurry stores, silage stores) RP28 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No
Sediment ponds and traps RP7 Yes No No No No Yes Yes No
Self- supporting covers for slurry and anaerobic digestate stores RP29 Yes Yes No No Yes No No Yes
Sheep dip drainage aprons and sumps RP22 No No Yes Yes No No No No
Silt filtration dams or seepage barriers RP10 Yes No No No No Yes Yes No
Sprayer or applicator load and wash down area RP27 No No Yes Yes No No No No
Storage tanks underground RP17 No No No No No No Yes No
Swales RP11 Yes No No No No Yes Yes No
Water gates FG15 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Watercourse crossings RP3 Yes No No No No Yes No No
Yard - underground drainage pipework RP13 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No
Yard Inspection pit RP14 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No

3. Options and capital items requiring Catchment Sensitive Farming Officer (CSFO) approval

Section 4.7.1 explains that you must have approval from a local CSFO to apply for certain options and capital items. These are listed in the table below. If you apply for these and do not have approval, we will remove them from your application. Your land must also be in a Countryside Stewardship High Priority Area for Water or Air Quality.

Option Option title
SW7 Arable reversion to grassland with low fertiliser input
SW8 Management of intensive grassland adjacent to a watercourse
SW14 Nil fertiliser supplement
AQ1 Automatic slurry scraper
AQ2 Low ammonia emission flooring for livestock buildings
RP13 Yard - underground drainage pipework
RP14 Yard Inspection pit
RP15 Concrete yard renewal
RP17 Water storage tanks underground
RP18 Above ground water storage tanks
RP19 First flush rainwater diverters or downpipe filters
RP20 Relocation of sheep dips & pens
RP21 Relocation of sheep pens only
RP22 Sheep dip drainage aprons & sumps
RP23 Installation of livestock drinking troughs (in draining pens for freshly dipped sheep)
RP4 Livestock and machinery tracks
RP24 Lined bio bed + loading & wash down area
RP25 Lined bio bed with existing wash down area
RP27 Sprayer or applicator load & wash down area
RP28 Roofing for sprayer wash down areas, manure storage, livestock gathering areas, slurry and silage stores
RP29 Self-supporting covers for slurry and anaerobic digestate stores
RP30 Floating covers for slurry and anaerobic digestate stores and lagoons
TE4 Supply and plant a tree
TE5 Supplement for use of individual tree-shelters
AQ1 Automatic slurry scraper
AQ2 Low ammonia emission flooring for livestock buildings

You can find CSFO contact details and guidance on finding out whether your land is in a Countryside Stewardship High Priority Area for Water or Air on GOV.UK.

If your land is in a Countryside Stewardship High Priority Area for Water or Air and you would like support or approval, you must contact your local CSFO as early as possible. You will need to contact your local CSFO at least 6 weeks before you intend to submit your application to request help or a visit, with the following information:

  • your name, address and postcode
  • your CPH and SBI Numbers
  • the capital items or options you are considering, which will benefit water or air quality
  • water or air quality priorities on your farm
  • basic farm details – for example size, enterprise (for example, dairy, arable, poultry)
  • how the pollutant is currently reaching a watercourse, or in the case of air where the ammonia emissions are coming from, and how you intend to prevent this.