Lowland Grazing Offer: what you need to know
Updated 1 September 2018
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/lowland-grazing-offer-countryside-stewardship/lowland-grazing-offer-what-you-need-to-know
The Lowland Grazing Offer closed for applications on 31 August 2018.
The Offer contains Countryside Stewardship options that help pollinators, farmland birds and other wildlife thrive on lowland farms throughout the year.
Benefits
The benefits are:
- improved nectar sources for insect pollinators, and foraging and nesting 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
Eligibility
To be eligible:
- your land must be registered on the Rural Payments Service to the Single Business Identifier (SBI) submitting the application
- your land must be registered as permanent or temporary grassland. (You can include arable fields, but only hedgerow options can be located on those parcels)
- your chosen options must cover at least 3% of your land – 3 hectares (ha) in every 100ha
- you must have full management control of the land for 5 years
- you must meet any minimum requirement for each category
You’re not eligible to apply if your SBI has land:
- in an Environmental Stewardship agreement that ends after 1 January 2019
- subject to an Inheritance Tax exemption agreement with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC)
- has a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) or Scheduled Monument
You cannot overlap options in this Offer with Ecological Focus Area (EFA) land where there’s double funding.
You’re limited to one application for each SBI you have for this round of Wildlife Offers.
Options and categories
The 6 options and one supplement are divided into 3 categories. You must pick at least one option from categories 1 and 2, and choose additional options or the supplement from category 3 if you wish.
The minimum number of options in the 5 year agreement is therefore 2. You can can select as many options or the supplement as you wish, but must enter a minimum of 3% of your land into the Offer.
Category 1. Nectar and pollen sources for insect pollinators and insect-rich foraging for birds (select at least one, minimum 2% or 2 ha per 100 ha of farmed land included in the agreement, no maximum)
| Option | Option title | Payment rate |
|---|---|---|
| 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 (select at least one, minimum 500m of BE3 / 1% or 1 ha of GS1 per 100 ha farmed land included in the agreement, no maximum)
| Option | Option title | Payment rate |
|---|---|---|
| BE3 | Management of hedgerows | £8/100m |
| GS1 | Take field corners out of production (outside SDA) | £365 |
Category 3. Optional additional resources & habitats (no minimum or maximum, apart from individual option requirements)
| Option or supplement | Option or supplement title | Payment rate |
|---|---|---|
| GS3 | Ryegrass seed-set as winter/spring food for birds | £331 |
| GS17 | Lenient grazing supplement | £44 |
| WT1 | Buffering in-field ponds and ditches in improved grassland | £201 |
Further information
See the Lowland Grazing Offer: option and supplement descriptions and prescriptions guidance for detailed information about the Offer’s options, supplement and categories.