Guidance

Invited applicants: how to fill in a Slurry Infrastructure grant Round 2 Slurry store location and design assessment form

Updated 10 April 2024

Applies to England

The Slurry Infrastructure grant Round 2 is a 3-stage application process. This guidance refers to the second stage of the application process.

You can only progress to this stage if you have been invited to do so after completing the online checker. If you’ve been invited, you will have received an email letting you know.

For this part, you will need to complete a Round 2 Slurry store location and design assessment form and email it to the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) along with any supporting evidence. You’ll also need to complete the latest version of the slurry wizard.

The form is attached to your invitation email to submit a full application. You’ll need to complete and return the form by 11.59pm on Monday 30 September 2024.

Differences from Slurry Infrastructure grant Round 1

The forms and guidance for Round 2 of the Slurry Infrastructure grant are different to the forms and guidance used for Round 1. Always use links to the current guidance on the relevant scheme page. Applications under Round 2 which are submitted on Slurry Infrastructure grant Round 1 application forms will not be accepted.

Before you apply

Before you fill in the slurry store location and design assessment form, read the:

• about the Slurry Infrastructure grant Round 2, who can apply and what it can pay for guidance)
• email inviting you to submit a full application – this tells you what information you need and contains the forms to be completed for both parts of the application
• Slurry Infrastructure site plan guidance – this was sent in your invite to submit a full application email and contains additional guidance on best practice for completing a site plan

Check your records on the Rural Payments service

Before applying, you must make sure that your business is registered with the Rural Payments service and has a Single Business Identifier (SBI). We cannot process your application without this.  

If you need to register on Rural Payments, call the RPA helpline on 03000 200 301 and select the options to speak to the Rural Payments team to confirm your identity. When you have done this, registering on the service should take around 20 minutes. 

If you are already registered but your application details do not match your records on the Rural Payments service, follow the guidance to update your records.  

The email address used to send your application form and supporting documents must match with that held in the Rural Payments service, with ‘full permissions’ or permission to ‘make legal changes’ for the applicant business. If you want to use an agent to manage your application, they must also have these permissions linked to your business. 

For information on how we handle personal data, go to Rural Payments Agency personal information charter.  

Planning permission advice

Defra, the Environment Agency (EA) and Natural England have written a joint letter to Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) in priority areas.

If you are applying for planning permission near to a habitat site, you may wish to include additional evidence with your planning application, such as in your design and access statement. This may help to show that your slurry storage is likely to pose a low risk to water quality.

It is best to submit as much information upfront to your LPA as you can to avoid delays to your planning decision.

You may wish to include:

• confirmation that the project is part of the Slurry Infrastructure grant scheme, such as a copy of the email from RPA inviting you to submit a full application
• a declaration that your proposal will improve storage for the better management of slurry from your existing herd – this could include evidence of recent and existing livestock numbers
• a nutrient management plan no older than 12 months, produced by a FACTS (Fertiliser Advisers Certification and Training Scheme) qualified advisor – the plan should explain how slurry will be used in compliance with the Farming Rules for Water to maintain the soil at the appropriate target nutrient indices, and should also include application rates and timings
• soil analysis no older than 5 years, to support the nutrient management plan

Catchment Sensitive Farming advice

You can get free onsite farm advice from your local Catchment Sensitive Farming (CSF) adviser. The adviser will provide advice on best practice to protect water, air and soil, including nutrients, slurry and manure management, and ammonia emission reduction.

The advice will help you make informed decisions on your on-farm nutrient management, including minimising ammonia emissions. This may help you produce your evidence for planning permission.

CSF advisers are not able to advise you on completing your Slurry store location and design assessment form or full application form.

How to complete the slurry store location and design assessment form

Fill in every section on the form unless the instructions say you can move to another question.

Under the Water Resources (Control of Pollution) (Silage, Slurry and Agricultural Fuel Oil) (England) (SSAFO) Regulations 2010, a person who proposes to have custody or control of slurry that is to be kept in a new or improved store must give the EA notice specifying the type of storage system and its location, at least 14 days before work constructing the store is to begin.

Submitting this form and supporting information is enough to meet these notice requirements, and you don’t need to inform the EA separately.

For questions which involve groundwater source protection zones (SPZs), you can view these on MagicMap. From the table of contents on the left hand side, select in this order:

• designations
• land-based designations
• non-statutory
• source protection zones merged (England) – tick the box

Any Ordnance Survey (OS) grid references you give must contain 2 letters and 10 numbers in the format LLNNNNNNNNNN, for example AA1234567890. You must use the Grid Reference Finder to obtain the OS grid reference, by right clicking on the map at the centre of the exact location.

The reference must not be a Rural Land Register (RLR) or OS field reference number. If the OS grid reference is incorrect, it will take longer to assess your project and may result in your project becoming ineligible.

Section 1: Applicant and project details

Provide details of the business or organisation applying for the grant. This should be the same business on the online application that was invited to submit a full application.

If you’re filling in this form on behalf of a business or organisation where you are not the owner, you should be a director or partner.

Question 1

Enter your SBI number here. You must make sure that the SBI number and business details registered with us on the Rural Payments service match with the SBI number entered on the assessment form. If it does not, we will not be able to assess your proposed project.

Question 2

Tell us the full name of your business or organisation. This is the name used on your annual financial accounts and your business bank account. It should also be the name of the business or organisation registered on the Rural Payments service.

Question 3

Enter your first name and surname. The applicant is normally the owner, a director or partner of the applicant business. The applicant must be someone with permission to make legal changes or full permissions for the applicant business on the Rural Payments service.

Question 4

Select ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ to tell us if you are an agent submitting the application on behalf of a customer. If ‘Yes’, enter your name and the name of the business you work for. You will need to have permission to make legal changes or full permissions for the applicant business.

Question 5

Enter the 6-digit project reference number which you can find at the top of your ‘invitation to submit a full application’ email.

Question 6

Enter the name of your project. This should be the same as the project name you gave on the online application and included in the confirmation email you received.

This project name will be included in any correspondence and in any publicity. You can read more information about this in the Managing a successful Farming Transformation Fund project guidance.

Question 7

Use the drop-down box to tell us what type of livestock you mainly farm.

Question 8

Select ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ to tell us if your farm has an environmental permit issued by the EA under the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016 to rear more than 2,000 production pigs over 30kg, or 750 sows.

If ‘Yes’, enter the permit reference number.

If your farm has a permit, you may need to apply for a variation to change an environmental permit. This is likely if you are applying for a new store, and may be required if you are applying for a replacement or expanded store. You can use the EA’s pre-application advice service to find out more or discuss this with your EA site officer.

You do not need to have a permit variation in place before you submit this form, but if you need one, you must have it agreed by the time you submit your final claim.

It is your responsibility to ensure your proposal complies with all conditions specified in your environmental permit.

Question 9

Use the drop-down box to tell us about the status of your planning application.

If ‘approved’ or ‘submitted’ for either full application or prior notification, tell us the full name of the LPA and the planning reference number in the boxes provided.

You do not need to have planning permission in place before you submit this form, but it must be approved before you submit your full application.

Question 10

Enter the number of existing slurry stores you currently have.

You should not enter the details of reception pits, channels or pipework into this section.

If you are unsure if a structure should be classified as a store or a reception pit for the purposes of your application, read the Plan your slurry storage: what you need to know guidance.

If you have more than one grant application for different projects, only enter the existing stores which are part of this slurry storage system.

If you have no existing stores, you will need to explain how you currently manage your slurry without the use of stores. If you do not already produce slurry, you will not be eligible to apply for this grant.

Question 11

Select ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ to tell us if you currently acidify slurry at the point of storage.

Acidification is the use of acid treatment or other technologies, such as plasma treatment, to lower and maintain the pH value of slurry to below 6 at the point of storage. Stabilising the pH of slurry substantially reduces ammonia emissions.

If ‘Yes’, you need to tell us how you do this. For example:

• through a dosing system using sulphuric acid and then it is returned to the slatted floor cellars
• through a dosing system using sulphuric acid before it enters the slurry store
• using a plasma treatment to lower and maintain the pH of the slurry before it enters the store

To be exempt from covering your store, you must be able to acidify all your slurry. You cannot use this grant to pay for slurry acidification systems.

Question 12

Select ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ to tell us if you currently use a separator.

Question 13

Enter the number of existing reception pits you have.

If you are unsure if a structure should be classified as a store or a reception pit for the purposes of your application, read the Plan your slurry storage: what you need to know guidance.

Section 2: Existing slurry storage

If you have more than one existing slurry store, use Annex A at the back of the form to answer these questions for each existing store you have.

Question 14

Enter the name or identifier of your existing slurry store, for example, ‘Slurry store 1’.

This should be the same name as the one used on the site plans, the slurry wizard and photo labels.

Use the drop-down box to tell us the type of your existing slurry store.

If your store type is not listed, tell us what type of store it is.

Question 14a

Select ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ to tell us if your store is only used to store slurry.

If ‘No’, you need to tell us what other materials enter the slurry store. For example, ‘farmyard manure, silage effluent and digestate’.

Question 14b

Select ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ to tell us if you are going to continue to use this store for slurry storage. Only tick ‘Yes’ if it’s going to form part of your future slurry storage.

If ‘No’, you need to tell us why you will not continue to use this store and provide photos or videos showing any faults. If a store has exceeded its lifespan, but is less than 20 years old, you will need to provide evidence of the store’s intended lifespan from the original manufacturer or installer.  

If ‘Yes’, enter the capacity of the store in cubic metres (m3).

You should calculate capacity using the internal dimensions of the store. Make sure to show all the steps taken to work out the capacity, not just the final capacity figure, including the consideration of freeboard. If your capacity figure comes from the store manufacturer, you must still explain how they have worked this figure out – you may need to consult the manufacturer to find this out.

Question 14c

Select ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ to tell us if your existing slurry store is in good working order, for example with no leaks or failures.

Select ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ to tell us if your supporting infrastructure (including channels, valves and pipework) is in good working order, for example with no leaks or failures.

If the slurry store or supporting infrastructure is no longer fit for purpose, you must stop using it for storing slurry or other organic material.

Question 14d

Use the drop-down box to tell us if the store has a cover.

If you have a cover that has had previous grant funding, you should check your previous Grant Funding Agreement to make sure that your proposed project will not breach any of its conditions.

Question 14e

Enter the date your existing store was built. If you do not know the exact date, enter the year it was built.

Question 14f

Select ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ to tell us if your store has been enlarged or altered since it was built.

If ‘Yes’, tell us what work was done and when. For example, ‘extra ring to steel slurry store in 2015’.

Section 3: Existing reception pits

If you have more than one existing reception pit, use Annex B at the back of the form to answer these questions for each existing reception pit you have.

Question 15

Enter the name or identifier of your existing reception pit, for example, ‘Reception pit 1’.

This should be the same name as the one used on the site plans and photo labels.

Use the drop-down box to tell us the type of your existing reception pit.

Question 15a

Select ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ to tell us if your reception pit is only used to store slurry.

If ‘No’, you need to tell us what other materials enter the slurry store. For example, ‘farmyard manure, silage effluent and digestate’.

Question 15b

Select ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ to tell us if you are going to continue to use this reception pit to collect for slurry storage. Only tick ‘Yes’ if it’s going to form part of your future slurry management system.

If ‘No’, you need to tell us why you will not continue to use this reception pit.

Question 15c

Select ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ to tell us if your existing reception pit is in good working order, for example with no leaks or failures.

If the reception pit is no longer fit for purpose, you must stop using it for storing slurry or other organic material.

Question 15d

Select ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ to tell us if your reception pit has been enlarged or altered since it was built.

If ‘Yes’, tell us what work was done and when.

Section 4: Retained slurry stores

If you are retaining more than one existing slurry store without expanding it, use Annex C at the back of the form to answer these questions for each one you are planning to retain.

Question 16

Enter the name or identifier of the slurry store if you are planning to retain an existing store with no modifications, for example, ‘Slurry store 1’.

This should be the same name as the one used on the site plans, the slurry wizard and photo labels.

Enter the Ordnance Survey (OS) grid reference of the existing slurry store.

Question 16a

Select ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ to tell us if the retained slurry store is covered.

Use the drop-down box to tell us what type of cover the retained store already has or will have if you are requesting a cover.

If the type of cover the store already has is not listed select ‘other’ and tell us what type of cover it is.

Select ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ to tell us if the cover will be funded by the grant.

If ‘Yes’ you will need to provide confirmation from a civil or structural engineer, or the original manufacturer, that the store is suitable to add an impermeable cover.

 You can find a list of supporting evidence requirements in Section 12 of this guidance.

Question 16b

Select ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ to tell us if the retained slurry store or channels are within 10m of inland freshwaters or coastal waters, including those that are seasonally dry. You should measure the distance from the outer edge of a structure, such as the bottom edge of the dry embankment of a slurry lagoon.

Question 16c

Select ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ to tell us if the slurry is stored within 50m of a spring, well or borehole. You should measure the distance from the maximum slurry extent, such as the top of the wet embankment of a slurry lagoon.

Question 16d

Select ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ to tell us if the retained slurry store is in a groundwater Source Protection Zone (SPZ).

Section 5: Retained reception pits

If you are retaining more than one existing reception pit and not modifying it, use Annex D at the back of the form to answer these questions for each existing reception pit you have.

Question 17

Enter the name or identifier of the reception pit if you are planning to retain an existing reception pit with no modifications, for example, ‘Reception pit 1’.

This should be the same name as the one used on the site plans and photo labels.

Enter the Ordnance Survey (OS) grid reference of the retained reception pit.

Question 17a

Select ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ to tell us if the reception pit is within 10m of inland freshwaters or coastal waters (including those that are seasonally dry).

You should measure the distance from the outer edge of the structure.

Question 17b

Select ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ to tell us if the slurry is within 50m of a spring, well or borehole when in the reception pit. You should measure the distance from the inner edge of the structure.

Question 17c

Select ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ to tell us if the reception pit store is in a groundwater SPZ.

Question 17d

Tell us which slurry stores the reception pit will serve, for example, ‘Slurry store 1’.  This name should be the same as the one used on the site plans, the slurry wizard and photo labels.

Section 6: Expanded slurry store

If you are expanding more than one existing slurry store, use Annex E at the back of the form to answer these questions for each expanded store you have.

Question 18

Enter the name or identifier of the slurry store if you are planning to expand an existing store, for example, ‘Slurry store 1’.

This should be the same name as the one used on the site plans, the slurry wizard and photo labels.

Question 18a

Select ‘Yes’ or ‘No’, to tell us if the expanded slurry store or channels will be within 10m of inland freshwaters or coastal waters, including those that are seasonally dry. You should measure this distance from the outer edge of a structure, such as the bottom edge of the dry embankment of a slurry lagoon.

Question 18b

Select ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ to tell us if the slurry will be within 50m of a spring, well or borehole when in the expanded store. You should measure this distance from the maximum slurry extent, such as the top of the wet embankment of a slurry lagoon.

Question 18c

Select ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ to tell us if the expanded slurry store or channels will be in a groundwater SPZ.

Question 18d

Enter the capacity of the expanded slurry store in m3.

You should calculate capacity using the internal dimensions of the store. You can use the slurry wizard to help calculate the capacity using the internal dimensions of the store. Make sure to show all the steps you have taken to calculate the capacity, not just the final capacity figure, including the consideration of freeboard. If the store manufacturer has provided you with a capacity figure you must still explain in the box how they have worked this figure out – you may need to consult the manufacturer to obtain this information.

Question 18e

Use the drop-down box to tell us what type of cover the expanded store will have.

If you are retaining an existing cover, you must make sure it is impermeable and able to cover the whole store when it has been expanded.

You need to provide confirmation from a civil or structural engineer, or original manufacturer, that an existing store is suitable for expansion and the addition of an impermeable cover.

You can find a list of supporting evidence requirements in Section 12.

Section 7: Modified reception pit

If you are modifying more than one existing reception pit, use Annex F at the back of the form to answer these questions for each modified store you have.

Question 19

Enter the name or identifier of the reception pit if you are planning to expand an existing reception pit, for example, ‘Reception pit 1’.

This should be the same name as the one used on the site plans and photo labels.

Enter the 10-digit OS grid reference of the reception pit.

Question 19a

Select ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ to tell us if the modified reception pit will be within 10m of inland freshwaters or coastal waters, including those that are seasonally dry. You should measure this distance from the outer edge of the structure.

Question 19b

Select ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ to tell us if the slurry will be within 50m of a spring, well or borehole when in the modified reception pit. You should measure this distance from the inner edge of the structure.

Question 19c

Select ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ to tell us if the modified reception pit will be in a groundwater SPZ.

Question 19d

Enter the capacity of the modified reception pit in m3.

You should calculate capacity using the internal dimensions of the pit. Make sure to explain all the steps you have taken to calculate the capacity, not just the final capacity figure.

Any facility used for the temporary storage of slurry before it is transferred to a slurry storage tank, such as a reception pit, must have adequate capacity to store the maximum quantity of slurry which (disregarding any slurry which will be transferred directly into a slurry storage tank) is likely to be produced on the premises in any 2-day period. A 2-day period, or 48 hours, is interpreted as M5 48 hours, which is around 1 wettest month’s rainfall in practical terms.

Slurry wizard tells you what the recommended reception pit size is on the Slurry Report tab in the Action points table. You should check that your total reception pit capacity equals or exceeds this value.

If the reception pit manufacturer has provided you with a capacity figure you must still explain in the box how they have worked this figure out – you may need to consult the manufacturer to obtain this information and submit supporting evidence.

Question 19e

Tell us which slurry stores the modified reception pit will serve, for example, ‘Slurry store 1’. This name should be the same as the one used on the site plans, the slurry wizard and photo labels.

Section 8: New slurry store

If you are applying to build more than one new slurry store, use Annex G at the back of the form to answer these questions for each store you plan to build.

Question 20

Enter the name or identifier of the new slurry store you are planning to build, for example, ‘Slurry store 1’.

This should be the same name as the one used on the site plans.

Enter the 10-digit OS grid reference of the new slurry store.

Using the drop-down box, select the store type.

Question 20a

Select ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ to tell us if the new slurry store or channels will be within 10m of inland freshwaters or coastal waters, including those that are seasonally dry. You should measure this distance from the outer edge of a structure, for example, the bottom edge of the dry embankment of a slurry lagoon.

Question 20b

Select ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ to tell us if the slurry will be within 50m of a spring, well or borehole when in the new store or channels. You should measure this distance should be measured from the maximum slurry extent, for example, the top of the wet embankment of a slurry lagoon.

Question 20c

Select ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ to tell us if the new slurry store is in a groundwater SPZ.

Question 20d

Tell us the capacity of the new slurry store in m3. You can use the slurry wizard to help you do this.

You should calculate capacity using the internal dimensions of the store. Make sure to show all the steps taken to work out the capacity, not just the final capacity figure. If you are using the manufacturer’s published dimensions of the store, make sure they are internal dimensions and have considered freeboard. If the store manufacturer has provided you with a capacity figure you must still explain in the box how they have worked this figure out – you may need to consult the manufacturer to obtain this information.

Question 20e

Use the drop-down box to tell us what type of cover the new store will have.

Section 9: New reception pit

If you are planning to build more than one new reception pit, use Annex H at the back of the form to answer these questions for each pit you are planning to build.

Question 21

Enter the name or identifier of the new reception pit you are planning to build, for example, ‘Reception pit 1’.

This should be the same name as the one used on the site plans.

Enter the 10-digit OS grid reference of the reception pit.

Using the drop-down box select the reception pit type.

Question 21a

Select ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ to tell us if the new reception pit will be within 10m of inland freshwaters or coastal waters, including those that are seasonally dry). You should measure this distance from the outer edge of the structure.

Question 21b

Select ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ to tell us if the slurry will be within 50m of a spring, well or borehole when in the new reception pit. You should measure this distance from the inner edge of the structure.

Question 21c

Select ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ to tell us if the new reception pit store will be in a groundwater SPZ.

Question 21d

Tell us the capacity of the new reception pit in m3.

Refer to the guidance at Question 19d to help you calculate the capacity of a reception pit.

Question 21e

Tell us which slurry store or stores the new reception pit will serve, for example, ‘Slurry store 1’. This should be the same as on the site plans and the slurry wizard.

Section 10: Livestock and slurry production details

Question 22

Tell us your existing livestock numbers, housing periods and slurry production. Existing livestock numbers means the typical number of animals you kept on the farm over the last year. The last year is counted from the date you submit your full application.

For the relevant livestock categories, enter the total number of each type and age, the months housed, and confirm if slurry is produced. You should include livestock in this table and in slurry wizard even if they don’t produce slurry.

Below is an example of a completed table.

Livestock category	Livestock type and age	Livestock number	Housing or occupancy period	Is slurry produced
Cattle	Dairy Cows after first calf	100	September to March	Yes
Cattle	Calves under 2 months	35	All year	No, on straw

If there is not a relevant livestock category for your farming system, enter the details of your livestock type and age in the ‘Other’ category.

Section 11: Storage details after project completion

Question 23

Select ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ to tell us if you are planning on using a separator as part of your slurry management system. You can get further information on using slurry separators by reading the Using a mechanical slurry separator to manage your slurry guidance.

Only tick ‘Yes’ if you operate, or plan to operate, a separator which divides slurry into liquid and more solid organic manure, where the more solid material is stackable.

Only tick ‘Yes’ if you plan to separate all your slurry.

If ‘Yes’, select ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ to tell us if part, or all, of the farm buildings from which your slurry comes is within a Nitrate Vulnerable Zone (NVZ).

Use the interactive map to find out if your farm buildings from which slurry comes are in an NVZ.

Select ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ to tell us if you have made sure you will have enough storage to meet regulatory requirements without a separator. This will make sure you have enough storage if the separator fails or needs maintenance.

The amount of slurry storage you need to meet regulatory requirements depends on where your farm is and the type of livestock you keep. All farms that produce slurry and spread it on their land must have at least enough storage to hold all the slurry produced in any 4 month period.

If your farm is in a NVZ, you need at least:

• 5 months slurry storage for cattle
• 6 months slurry storage for pigs

Your farm is considered as in an NVZ if a part or all the farm buildings from which your slurry comes is within an NVZ.

Question 24

Use the drop-down boxes to tell us which period you are using for your storage calculations.

Pig farms in a NVZ should enter a continuous 8 month period that includes 1 October to 1 April and the wettest months. Dairy or beef farms should use the continuous 6 month period from 1 September to 1 March unless they have a specific housing regime, when it should cover the main periods of housing within a continuous 6 month period.

Question 25

Tell us what storage capacity in cubic metres (m3) you need over your chosen storage period.

You can use the slurry wizard to work this out by adding together the ‘Total cubic meters (m3)’ figures in the ‘Slurry report tab’ for each of the months within your chosen period.

Question 26

Tell us what the total storage capacity in m3 will be when the grant funded work is completed. This should reflect the information entered in the previous sections.

Section 12: Supporting documents checklist

You must email your supporting documents with your slurry store location and design assessment form.

Review this list and tick the box to confirm you have included any relevant documents with the form. There is a comments box for you to explain, if necessary.

If you do not provide these documents when we ask for them, or they do not meet the requirements in the guidance, your application may be rejected.

Please make sure your supporting documents meet the following requirements.

Site plans

For all projects, using maps of your farmyard, please provide to scale site plans showing what the site will look like once work is completed. This must include the location of all the existing and proposed infrastructure, for example, slurry store, reception pits, roofed buildings, yard areas and silage clamps.

The Slurry Infrastructure site plan guidance includes details on best practice for completing a site plan. This is included in your invitation to submit a full application email.

The plans should include the:

• scale and key describing clearly all elements depicted on the plan
• unique names or identifiers for each slurry store, reception pit and all areas collecting rainfall that will drain to the slurry stores (yards, silage pits, uncovered stores, roofs of buildings), new and existing, including those that will no longer be used for slurry storage
• dimensions of all areas collecting rainfall that will drain to the slurry stores (yards, silage pits, uncovered stores, roofs of buildings) and structures used to store slurry (slurry stores, reception pits)
• purpose of any buildings on the plan, whether associated with the farm or not (such as parlour, cubicles, finisher housing, farrowing house, collecting yard, feeding yard, silage pit, slurry channels, reception pit, slurry ramp, farm house, commercial buildings, residential buildings, or derelict buildings)
• surface types of all areas (concrete, asphalt, gravel, grass)
• direction of flow from and across impermeable surfaces
• areas that stock have access to
• above and below ground drainage systems, pathways and infrastructure (channels, drains, pipework, guttering, land drains)
• clean water discharge points
• transfer routes of slurry across impermeable surfaces, in pipework or channels and in tankers
• permitted boundary, if you are a permitted site under the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016

You can provide more than one plan if needed to show the full farmyard and proposed infrastructure.

If you do not have a suitable map, you can email FTF@rpa.gov.uk to ask for one. Include the OS grid references so we can provide a map to cover the full area.

Design specifications of the intended structures

For all projects, this should include clear annotated scaled plans including elevations, dimensions, and sectional diagrams.

Location maps of any springs, wells or boreholes within your farm holding

For all projects, these locations should be clearly shown on a plan of your holding which is annotated with grid references identifying the location of each feature.

Slurry wizard output

For all projects, provide a completed slurry wizard to show the intended storage capacity once your project is complete. The slurry wizard works out the volume of slurry that the farm will produce monthly. You can use it to calculate the capacity required to cover your required storage period.

You will need to download a copy of the latest version of the slurry wizard (March 2024 or later), from the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) website and save it. Make any changes you need and save with a new file name relevant to your application. You should read the guidance on how to complete the wizard on the AHDB website.

Make sure that the names or identifiers entered for each store and areas draining to the stores on the slurry wizard are the same as those used on any site plans and in the form.

You do not need to change the depreciation buildings, interest rate or cost figures in the ‘Baseline farm data’ table for your grant application. 

You should not enter the details of reception pits, channels or pipework into this section.

If you are unsure if a structure should be classified as a store or a reception pit for the purposes of your application, read the Plan your slurry storage: what you need to know guidance.

If you plan to use a separator, whether funded by the grant or not, you must first make sure you have enough storage to contain all the slurry you produce without your separator:

• for 4 months if you are outside a NVZ
• for 5 months if you are in a NVZ for cattle, sheep, goats, deer and horses, and 6 months for pigs and poultry

Following these rules means you will have enough storage if the separator fails or requires maintenance.

You can do this by selecting ‘No’ from the drop-down menu in the box in Slurry Wizard when asked ‘Do you operate a slurry separator for the slurry entering the store(s)’.

The copy of slurry wizard you submit should include the separator if you intend to use one, as slurry separators can further reduce pressure on your stores once these legal minimums are met. You must use these standard figures to calculate what percentage will be diverted from your slurry store: 

• 20% for beef and dairy
• 15% for pigs

You cannot use your own figures.

You must submit the slurry wizard as a PDF document.  You can do this on tab ‘3 Slurry report’ by clicking on the ‘Export worksheets to PDF’ button in the top right corner. 

If you use your own rainfall data, please send in any records and evidence you have to support the figures used. Rainfall data must use a minimum of 5-year averages.

Photos or videos of any existing stores

For all projects, provide photos or videos of any existing slurry storage systems and reception pits. Make sure they cover the entire storage system, including reception pits, from all angles, and show clear images of all sides, corners, joins and surfaces.

You must reference each photo with:

• the store name or identifier (as used on any site plans and the slurry wizard)
• the date the photo was taken
• a short description of what it shows, for example, load bearing walls or side walls

We can only accept videos in an MP4 format which are no larger than 20mb in size. You may need to record more than one video to make sure the size limit is not exceeded.

Send all photos and videos as attachments to your email. Do not save them in online storage systems and provide links to access them.

Emails should be a maximum of 32mb. If you need to, you can send several separate emails. If you do, number each email, for example ‘Project reference number: assessment form video 1 of 3’.

Expanding an existing store or retrofitting a cover

If you are expanding an existing store or retrofitting a cover, you will need to provide written confirmation from a qualified civil or structural engineer, who is a member of a chartered institute, that your existing store is suitable for expansion and/or the addition of an impermeable cover.

This could include confirmation that:

• the existing structure can withstand the additional loads likely to be imposed from the expansion without the walls failing
• the foundations can withstand the additional load placed on them (especially raft foundations)
• the structure will last 20 years (with maintenance)

Soil suitability testing

If you are constructing an unlined earth bank lagoon, provide evidence of soil suitability by sending soil testing results and sampling methodology, including:

• the location each sample was taken – could be either grid references for each sample or a site plan

• the number of samples taken
• whether samples were analysed individually or bulked together for analysis
• the depth at which the samples were taken
• the dates the samples were taken
• soil analysis results provided by a recognised UKAS laboratory in accordance with either BS 1377-6:1990 (depending on the build), BS 1377-2:1990 or BS EN 1997-2:2007

Further information on soil testing can be found in the Construction Industry Research and Information Association (CIRIA) guidance, Livestock manure and silage storage infrastructure for agriculture (C759F).

Using a large volume supported slurry bag

If you are using a large volume supported slurry bag, provide details of the secondary containment you will use. Further information on secondary containment can be found in the CIRIA guidance, Livestock manure and silage storage infrastructure for agriculture (C759F).

Section 13: Declaration

When you have completed the form, read this section and make sure that you agree with, and can meet, the requirements set out in it.

The declaration must be completed and submitted by someone holding ‘full’ or ‘make legal changes’ permission on the Rural Payments service.

By submitting and agreeing to the submission of the slurry store location and design assessment form, you’ll be agreeing to the declarations.

Submit your assessment form

Save your form as a Microsoft Word document. Attach all documents to the email and send it from the email address you give us in Section 1 of the assessment form. Do not send documents by post or save them in online storage systems and provide links to access them.

Emails should be a maximum of 32MB. You may need to send several separate emails. If you do, number each email, for example ‘Project reference number: application 1 of 3’.

Email the completed form and supporting documents to FTF@rpa.gov.uk.

If an agent or consultant sends the form for you, they must copy you into the email using the email address you give us in Section 1.

The email addresses used to submit the assessment form must match with those held in the Rural Payments service, with permission to make legal changes or full permissions for the applicant business.