RLE1 guidance 2024

Question 1

When to use the RLE1 form

Accepted Answer

Use the RLE1 form to make changes to your land if:

you have no land linked to your Single Business Identifier (SBI)
your holding type is shown as tenant (when transferring or removing land only)
you want to transfer land by sub-lease, through inheritance, or transfer part land parcels (when transferring land only)
you own less than 100% of the land parcel (when transferring or removing land only)
you’re unable to access the Rural Payments service

This guidance is for people applying for or claiming any of the following rural payments and grants:

Countryside Stewardship (CS)
Environmental Stewardship (ES)
Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI)
English Woodland Grant Scheme (EWGS)
Farm Woodland Premium Scheme (FWPS)

We use digital maps to record physical land parcel boundaries and features for land which will be included in an application or claim for these schemes.

Permissions levels

You need to make sure that you (or your agent if they complete the form for you) have the correct permission level in the Rural Payments service to complete and return the RLE1 form. Table 1 shows the permission levels needed to carry out various actions. We can only accept forms when they are completed by someone with the relevant permission level.

You need to send electronic RLE1s from an email address registered in the Rural Payments service.

Table 1

Permission level	Transfer land	Amend land, features and covers
‘Business: Make legal changes’	Yes	Yes
‘Business: Full permission’	Yes	Yes
‘Land: Amend’	Yes	Yes

‘Countryside Stewardship (Application): Amend’; or ‘Countryside Stewardship (Application): Submit’	No	Yes
‘Countryside Stewardship (Agreements): Amend’; or ‘Countryside Stewardship (Agreements): Submit’	No	Yes

You can check your permission level in the Rural Payments service. To do this, click ‘Give access to this business’ on the ‘Business overview’ screen. If your level of permission is incorrect, contact the person who has ‘Full Permission’ for the business to ask them to change it.

If you cannot access the Rural Payments service, you can call us on 03000 200 301 to check your permission level.

Permissions needed for the Sustainable Farming Incentive are covered in the SFI scheme information see What to do before you apply for an SFI standards agreement.

What to use the RLE1 form or Rural Payments service for

Details	RLE1 form	Online Rural Payments service
Map a land parcel for the first time	Yes	No
Add a parcel that’s already mapped but is new to your business	Yes	Yes
Request that a registered land parcel is linked to your Single Business Identifier (SBI) at the same time as it is linked to another SBI	Yes	Yes
Make permanent changes to a land parcel including changing the size and shape; adding or removing a permanent boundary to split or merge parcels; and adding, or removing a permanent non-agricultural area or feature	Yes	Yes
Remove or transfer a land parcel from your holding if Rural Payments service shows your holding type as ‘owner’ and 100% of the land parcel as owned	Yes	No
Remove or transfer a land parcel from your holding if Rural Payments service shows your holding type as ‘tenant’	Yes	No
Remove or transfer a land parcel from your holding if the Rural Payments service shows your holding type as ‘tenant’ and less than 100% of the land parcel as owned	Yes	No
Tell us about changes to the land cover (arable, permanent grassland, permanent crops and non-agricultural)	Yes	Yes
Map hedges being included in a CS application under options BE3, BN5 or BN6 or being used to claim BE3 in an existing CS agreement that are not shown in the Rural Payments service	Yes	Yes

When you use the Rural Payments service to transfer land parcels you do not need to send in an RLE1 form for the same transfer.

What to do if you’ve already submitted an RLE1 form

Transfer land

If you’ve sent an RLE1 form to transfer land but now want to use the Rural Payments service to transfer the land online, you need to call us on 03000 200 301 to check the latest advice for the specific change you want to make.

Changes to business

You may also need to fill in an RLE1 form to transfer land if your business is involved in either a merger, split (scission) or other business change which results in a new business being formed.

Question 2

When not to use the Rural Payments service or an RLE1 form

Accepted Answer

Do not request a mapping change to tell us about your hedges unless they are to be included in a CS application. You do not need to request that hedges are mapped unless they are not shown in your digital maps, and you want to include them in your CS application or claim (this only affects certain options (CS)). If this is the case, you would need to use the Rural Payments service or an RLE1 form to add them to your digital maps.

Do not request a mapping change to map any features or options you have in an agri-environment or woodland scheme unless it is to change the land cover of your land parcel, for example, from arable land cover to woodland (non-agricultural) land cover.

Read the scheme rules

This guidance tells you how to use the RLE1 form. It does not give any scheme rules. Read the rules for the relevant scheme before you use this form.

We reject RLE1 forms and return them if Parts A and F are not completed correctly, or Part F has been amended in any way. If we need further information about Parts B and D we’ll contact you and request this information before processing your RLE1 form.

Check your land details

It’s your responsibility to make sure that you:

only apply for or claim on your land that is eligible for the scheme you’re applying for or claiming payment for
check your maps, either online or on paper
tell us about any changes

You can view your land details online using the Rural Payments service.

We continuously use all available data sources, including aerial photography and Ordnance Survey (OS) map updates, to keep our land information up-to-date, and to check any applications and claims you make.

It’s important that you check your digital maps online because we’ve reviewed and updated our mapping information, where necessary.

How we contact you about changes to your digital maps

If you’ve requested a change to your digital maps in the Rural Payments service or by sending an RLE1 form and sketch map, you’ll receive a notification in the Rural Payments service once the updates have been completed. We will contact you if we have a query about your submission or form.

Question 3

Registering land and making mapping changes

Accepted Answer

You can see digital maps of all the land parcels registered to your holding using the Rural Payments service.

To apply for or claim these rural payments, you’ll need to check that your digital maps correctly show:

all the agricultural land parcels on your holding
all their permanent boundaries
all permanent non-agricultural areas or features within them
all the non-agricultural land parcels on your holding which you manage under a relevant agri-environment or woodland scheme – see section ‘When to use the RLE1 form’
all hedges being included in a new Countryside Stewardship (CS) application under options BE3 (Management of hedgerows), BN5 (Hedgerow laying) or BN6 (Hedgerow coppicing); or included in a claim for an existing CS agreement under option BE3

Where to find your digital maps

Sign in to the Rural Payments service. From the ‘Business overview’ screen, click ‘Land’ then ‘View land’.

How to print your digital maps

You can download and print your digital maps – you can only print a map of one land parcel at a time. Sign in to the Rural Payments service. From the ‘View land’ screen, select the land parcel you need. The ‘Parcel details’ screen shows a digital map and details of the land parcel. You should tick ‘Hedges’ so the hedge detail is showing. Below the map, click on ‘Download a print-friendly version of this page (PDF)’ and follow the instructions.

You should use these printed paper maps whenever you need to send us a sketch map with your RLE1 form. If you can’t do that, you can use maps that we’ve sent you in the past or use the best maps available to you. If you have a Farm Environment Record (FER) map from Natural England, you can use a copy of this map. You need to clearly write the RPA land parcel reference numbers on your FER map as we cannot use the printed land parcel numbers. You can find land parcel reference numbers on your digital maps.

A sketch map should be a printed map which you’ve clearly marked with the changes you want to make.

When to use an RLE1 form to update your digital maps

Check your digital maps carefully to make sure they are correct. Read more information in the ‘How to check and update your digital maps’ section in this guide. If the digital maps do not show all of your land correctly and you need to make changes, you can do this using the Rural Payments service or by filling in an RLE1 form and sending it to us. Check the information in the ‘What to use the RLE1 form or Rural Payments service for’ table in this guide, to find out if you need to use an RLE1 form to tell us about the changes or if you can make them online.

To find out if there’s a deadline for sending us your completed RLE1 form, read the latest scheme guidance for the specific scheme you wish to use the land to apply or claim for.

If another person has transferred land to you and you cannot see it in the Rural Payments service, you can call us.

When you use the Rural Payments service to transfer land parcels you do not need to send in an RLE1 form for the same transfer.

If there’s more than one person with an interest in the land parcel (for example, a landlord and tenant sharing use of a land parcel) please make sure that you agree any changes with the other person using the land, as it may affect your application or claims.

Pending changes

When we receive your RLE1 form, your change will show as pending in your digital maps. You’ll see an exclamation mark icon. If you cannot see this icon, then your RLE1 form has not yet been marked as pending in the Rural Payments service. You do not need to send a new RLE1 form if you’ve already sent one.

Sending sketch maps to us

You need to send sketch maps to us with your RLE1 form if you make any:

permanent changes to the shape of your land parcels
permanent changes to the size of your land parcels
changes to the land cover of your land parcels (except for those cases where you can ring us rather than sending an RLE1 form)

If you are requesting a change to one or more of the land parcels shown in your digital maps or you are requesting that a new land parcel is mapped to your holding, you will need to send us a sketch map.

Mark the changes on your map, then scan it into your computer and save it as a separate document. If you are unable to scan your map into your computer, you can take a photo of the map and then save that as a separate file instead. This needs to show clearly the change you have requested.

Label the file containing the photo or scanned image with the original land parcel reference (for example, AB12341234). If it’s a new land parcel not previously mapped, use an estimated land parcel reference number. Read ‘Annex 2 – How to estimate a land parcel reference number’.

You do not need to send us a sketch map to remove or transfer a land parcel.

Send your maps and RLE1 form to us together.

If you are posting your maps to us, you should also post your RLE1 form.

If you are emailing your maps to us, you should also email your RLE1 form.

Or, you can download and print maps of your land parcels from the Rural Payments service. If you cannot do that, you can use maps that we’ve sent you in the past or use the best maps available to you. If you have a Farm Environment Record (FER) map from Natural England, you can use a copy of this map. You need to clearly write the RPA land parcel reference numbers on your FER map as we can’t use the printed land parcel numbers. You need to make sure that your SBI is clearly marked on any sketch maps you send to us.

Marking changes on sketch maps

When you send your RLE1 form to us to make mapping changes to your registered land, it’s important you send accurate sketch maps. You should use your sketch maps alongside aerial photography and OS map updates to amend your information, rather than the RLE1.

You need to:

You must not:

guess or estimate the feature or boundary areas and lengths
request parcel boundaries that are not valid permanent boundaries – the ‘Permanent land parcel boundaries’ section explains what is a permanent boundary and what is not
send us multiple maps that contradict each other – you need to add additional notes to your sketch map and covering letter if you want a new sketch map to replace one you sent us previously
request woodland (a non-agricultural land cover) is mapped as arable land, permanent grassland or permanent crops (agricultural land covers) on your sketch map

Question 4

What land to register

Accepted Answer

You need to register all agricultural areas on your holding which are 0.01 hectares (ha) or larger.

All land parcels where agri-environment or woodland scheme options are to be located need to be registered on your digital maps in the Rural Payments service.

When registering these land parcels for the first time, give the ‘effective date of change’ as the date you took legal responsibility for the land parcel.

If the land parcel is already registered in the Rural Payments service but is not linked to your holding (SBI), it should be transferred to you online.

However, if the land needs to remain linked to another SBI at the same time, you should transfer it by filling in an RLE1 form. Make sure you enter ‘(Keep link)’ after the business name in section B2. If you are submitting your RLE1 by email, put ‘RLE1 Land Change’ and your SBI in the email subject heading.

Agricultural land parcels

Agricultural land is:

arable land (including temporary grassland and fallow land)
permanent grassland
permanent crops

All other land is ‘non-agricultural’.

For a full list of non-agricultural land and for a list of land use codes, check Rural payments: land use codes 2024.

Non-agricultural land parcels

You need to also register any non-agricultural land parcels that you’re managing (or intend to manage) under a relevant agri-environment or woodland scheme agreement. See section ‘When to use the RLE1 form’ for more information.

A land parcel of woodland or forestry needs to be registered if it’s in or will be in an agri-environment or woodland scheme.

Question 5

Permanent land parcel boundaries

Accepted Answer

You need to use an RLE1 form to tell us about any changes to the permanent boundaries of a land parcel which you expect to last for 3 years or more.

Permanent boundaries are:

fixed fences (but not temporary electric fences)
walls (including Cornish hedges)
hedges
lines of trees
Devon banks (a bank forming a parcel boundary for the purpose of, for example, containing livestock)
watercourses, for example, ditches, rivers and streams
changes in vegetation that are clearly visible on the ground, for example, woodland next to grass, but not crop splits
roads or man-made surfaced tracks
boundary stones, marker posts (see below) or the extent of common land, registered under the Common Registration Act 1965 or Part 1 of the Commons Act 2006

Using marker posts as a permanent boundary

You can choose to use marker posts (for example, fence posts with a minimum diameter of 75mm) as a permanent boundary. If you do, we recommend they have a white or coloured top so that they can easily be seen. This is important because our field officers will look for them to be clearly visible and not moveable.

If you use marker posts, there should be at least 3 posts to identify a straight boundary, marking both ends (as near as is practical) and the mid-point. If the boundary does not follow a straight line, you should use a post to mark each turning point in the boundary line.

Marker posts should be maintained and visible (for example, not obscured by vegetation). It is important that the position of the posts is accurately measured so that the details on the map match the actual location of the boundary. OS will not identify the posts or the boundary on their maps. Our field officers will measure the boundary in the normal way if they carry out a site visit of the holding.

Boundaries across more than one part of the UK

A land parcel can only be in one part of the UK. This means that a national boundary is a permanent boundary.

We split land parcels accordingly and give separate reference numbers to the resulting land parcels.

What is not a permanent boundary

These features are not classed as permanent boundaries:

ownership boundaries
temporary boundaries such as electric fences (this only refers to temporary electric fencing and not permanent fencing that is electrified), plough lines or buffer strips
underground drains which are not visible on the ground
administrative boundaries such as parish boundaries which do not follow a physical feature on the ground
map grid lines
natural-surfaced (unsurfaced) tracks and paths, in particular muddy tracks, that can either be ploughed up or can move slightly from year to year

Cropping splits and ownership boundaries

These are not classified as permanent boundaries. If you want to register a land parcel boundary based on a cropping split or ownership boundary, then you need to use marker stones or posts (read ‘Using marker posts as a permanent boundary’) to create a permanent boundary which can be mapped.

Shared land parcels

If a land parcel is occupied by more than one person, they should both register the whole land parcel according to its permanent boundary – not according to the area each person occupies.

If you want to change the permanent boundary of a shared land parcel, you should speak to the other occupier(s) to make sure that you all agree to the change, as it may affect your applications or claims for different schemes.

How to register changes to permanent boundaries

You’ll need to send sketch maps to us with your RLE1 form (read ‘Sending sketch maps to us’ and ‘Marking changes on sketch maps’ in this guide).

If you’re not using RPA maps, clearly mark the boundaries of the land parcels on the maps. Remember to write on the map:

the current OS sheet references and grid references of each of the parcels you’re making changes to
an estimate of what the new references will be – read ‘Annex 2 – How to estimate a land parcel reference number’ to find out how

Tell us the measurements (in metres) of all the new permanent boundaries.

If adding a new permanent boundary creates a separate land parcel, you need to tell us whether you want to register the newly created land parcel as part of your holding. If you do not, the separate parcel will be removed from your registered holding.

If you have any other maps such as site plans or Compulsory Purchase Orders you should send a copy of these to us. Please supply any information that you have which clearly shows the changes you want to make and believe could be of use to us. We will not be able to return any documents that you send, so please make sure that you keep the original copy for your records.

For more information about how to make boundary changes read Part D: Change a permanent boundary in the ‘How to fill in your RLE1 form’ section.

Question 6

Non-agricultural areas and features

Accepted Answer

Many agricultural land parcels contain areas and features which are permanently non-agricultural. To apply for and claim rural payments, these will need to show correctly on your digital map(s) in the Rural Payments service.

We have already used OS information and information supplied by farmers to map as many of these features as possible – you can see them in your digital maps online. You can see your digital maps on the ‘View land’ screens in the Rural Payments service.

Tell us about permanent non-agricultural areas or features that are not on your digital maps

If there are features which are not on your digital maps, you need to tell us about them using an RLE1 form and a sketch map.

You need to make sure that areas or features which are 0.01ha or more are marked on the sketch maps that you send.

You normally only need to tell us about the areas or features which:

lie within the permanent boundary of an agricultural land parcel
lie within a non-agricultural land parcel that is part of an agri-environment or woodland scheme agreement
form part of the permanent boundary itself

However, you also need to tell us about areas or features that are outside land parcel boundaries if they are included, or will be included, in your agri-environment or woodland scheme agreements. For example, you’ll need to tell us about buildings and farmyards where you want to apply for CS options or capital items. Read about how to do this at ‘Part D: Add a permanent non- agricultural area or feature’.

In Annex 1, there’s a full list of non-agricultural areas and features which you need to make sure are registered on your digital maps.

‘Scattered features’

Some non-agricultural areas or features may be small and scattered across a land parcel. In these cases, you need to add up the sizes of the individual features. If they add up to 0.01ha or more, you need to register them using the appropriate ‘scattered feature’ code and make sure they show on your maps.

Trees and woodland

Trees are considered part of the agricultural area of a parcel if they are:

individual trees scattered within an agricultural parcel
lines of trees (of a maximum of 2 trees wide) on an agricultural parcel

Groups of trees on an agricultural parcel that are not adjacent to a boundary are also considered part of the agricultural area of the parcel if:

the area underneath the canopy is used for agricultural activity (this condition is met where it’s suitable for cultivation or grazing of livestock)
more than 50% of the area underneath the tree canopy is covered by grasses, other herbaceous forage or arable land

Groups of trees on an agricultural parcel that are adjacent to a boundary are considered part of the agricultural area of the parcel if:

the area underneath the canopy is used for agricultural activity (this condition is met where it’s suitable for cultivation or grazing of livestock)
unsuitable for cultivation, the entire area under the canopy is accessible to farm animals for grazing and more than 50% of the area underneath the tree canopy is covered by grasses, other herbaceous forage or arable land

All other groups of trees are woodland which is a non-agricultural area.

Areas of woodland that prevent agricultural activity should be registered and mapped as woodland.

Apply for and claim rural payments

To find out if a non-agricultural area or feature is eligible for a particular scheme, read the relevant scheme guidance -Funding for farmers, growers and land managers.

Question 7

Transferring or removing land

Accepted Answer

You may have land that should no longer be linked to your holding (SBI) as it’s not under your management control. You can transfer land to someone else (by sale, lease or gift) or remove land from your SBI (holding) in the Rural Payments service or by filling in an RLE1 form.

If you transfer or remove a land parcel from your SBI (holding), it will completely remove the land parcel from your record. This means you will not be able to claim for payment on that land parcel for agri-environment and woodland schemes. So, if you still have management control of the land parcel for one of these schemes, do not transfer or remove the land from your record.

If you remove a land parcel under an existing agri-environment or woodland scheme agreement, this may affect your agreement or payment.

If you are sure you want to remove a land parcel from your holding (record) and you need to use either a change land tenure form or an RLE1 form, follow the instructions given in the section ‘Transferring or removing land where the holding type in the Rural Payments service is shown as tenant or as owner but the percentage owned is less than 100%’.

You may have land that has been linked to your SBI by mistake. You can remove this land from your holding (record) using the Rural Payments service – use ‘remove’. To do this the Rural Payments service needs to show:

your holding type as ‘owner’
100% of the parcel as owned

If the Rural Payments service shows your holding type as ‘tenant’ or less than 100% of the land parcel as owned, you’ll need to either:

call us and ask us to remove this land from your holding (record)
remove this land from your holding (record) in the same way as transferring land

If removing the land yourself, you need to fill in an RLE1 form and:

at Part B2, use SBI 200116651 and fill in ‘Parcel never linked to business’ instead of a business name
at Part B3b, fill in the ‘Effective date of transfer’ as 01/01/2024

Transferring or removing land where the holding type in the Rural Payments service is shown as tenant or as owner but the percentage owned is less than 100%

You cannot transfer or remove a land parcel in the Rural Payments service if the ‘Holding’ type on the ‘Transfer land’ screen shows as either:

tenant
owner but the percentage owned is less than 100%

If this is the case you will you have to use an RLE1 form to transfer or remove a land parcel. You can check your ‘holding type’ and ‘% owned’ on the ‘Transfer land’ page in the Rural Payments service.

If this information is incorrect, you need to download and fill in a change land tenure form to correct it. Fill in the form and then attach it to an email and send it to ruralpayments@defra.gov.uk. Put ‘Update land tenure status’ in the subject heading. We’ll confirm when the changes have been made. You will then be able to transfer or remove the land parcel using the Rural Payments service.

In these cases, you need to:

at Part B1 use the option ‘Sale/gift of land’
at Part B2 transfer the land parcel to the SBI we have set up to remove land parcels from your claim (SBI 200116651) – the business name for this SBI is ‘Land removed from your holding’
at Part B3b fill in the ‘Effective date of transfer’ as 01/01/2024
at Part D fill in the land parcel details

Question 8

Land cover changes

Accepted Answer

Tell us about changes to your land cover

What land cover is

Land cover is not the same as land use. We classify land by looking firstly at the physical nature of the land. These categories are referred to as land covers. We then look at the activities the land is used for. These sub-categories are referred to as land uses.

Land cover categories are:

arable land
permanent grassland
permanent crops
non-agricultural area

Examples of land use are:

winter wheat
spring barley
temporary grassland
permanent grassland
short rotation coppice
woodland
farm building structure

How to tell us about changes to your land cover

Where there is only one land cover change and it covers the whole of the land parcel, you can call us.

Or, if there’s more than one land cover for a land parcel, you need to fill in an RLE1 form and send it to us with a sketch map clearly marked with the land covers and areas. You need to write your SBI on your RLE1 form and sketch map.

If the land cover is non-agricultural, where possible write the land use code from Annex 1 as this will help us record it correctly. You must also write ‘Mapping change query’ and your SBI on your RLE1 form and sketch map. If you fill in your RLE1 form electronically, you should state in your email that this is a mapping change query.

Agri-environment and woodland schemes – changing land cover

The management required under certain agri-environment and woodland scheme options means that the land cover changes from agricultural to non-agricultural. You need to tell us about this change in land cover using an RLE1 form and sketch map.

Question 9

How to check and update your digital maps

Accepted Answer

It’s your responsibility to check your digital maps in the Rural Payments service throughout the year and tell us:

about any changes to your land
if you do not agree with a change that we’ve made

See the Digital maps in the Rural Payments service: check and change mapping updates guidance for more information.

Question 10

How to fill in your RLE1 form

Accepted Answer

You only need to fill in the parts of the form which are relevant to you, but you need to return the whole RLE1 form to us.

Please remember:

not to use correction fluid
you need to enter an effective date in Part D for all requests
you must not change any of the wording in Part F
it is your responsibility to make sure the information you give on this form is accurate

Question 11

Part A: General details

Accepted Answer

Fill in your SBI and name of beneficiary (or business name).

Question 12

Part B: Transfer details

Accepted Answer

Fill in Part B if you want to:

transfer land
remove land

You need to fill in a separate RLE1 form for each type of transfer or removal.

For example, one form for transfer by lease, one form for transfer by sale and another form for removing a parcel no longer part of the occupied land.

You do not need to fill in Parts B if you only want to register new fields, make changes to permanent non-agricultural areas or features or make permanent boundary changes to your holding.

B1 – How are you disposing of your land?

Put an ‘X’ in one box only to tell us which type of transfer you want to make.

To remove land when your holding type is shown correctly as ‘tenant’ in the Rural Payments service or it correctly shows less than 100% of the land parcel as owned, you need to put an ‘X’ in the ‘Sale/gift of land’ box.

B2 – Details of the business you are transferring land to

Fill in the SBI and name of the beneficiary or business you are transferring the land to. You need to give us these details or your transfer may be rejected.

To remove land when your holding type is shown correctly as ‘tenant’ in the Rural Payments service or it correctly shows less than 100% of the land parcel as owned by you, use the SBI 200116651. The business name for this SBI is ‘Land removed from your holding’.

If the business receiving the land does not have an SBI, they should register using the Rural Payments service to get one. You need to get their SBI from them before you send your RLE1 form to us (except for inheritance, mergers or scissions where we are still assessing a new business).

The SBI is not needed in B2 if you’re only transferring land out of agricultural production (for example, land that has been sold for residential use).

B3a – CPH number of the business receiving the land

You no longer need to fill in CPH numbers on the RLE1 form, but it may be helpful.

B3b – Effective date of transfer

Fill in the date you want the transfer to take place. We need to have this information for all transfer types.

If you are transferring land to an agri-environment or woodland scheme applicant, fill in the ‘effective date of transfer’ as the date the parcel was legally transferred.

B3c – Lease start date

Only fill in a date if the transfer is a lease or sub-lease. Give the date your lease or sub-lease agreement starts.

B4 – Lease end date

Only fill in this date if the transfer is a lease or sub-lease of land, or land with entitlements. Give the date when the lease or sub-lease agreement ends.

You need to give a lease end date for land transfers.

B5 and B6 – Merger or Scission

Only fill in these questions if your transfer is as a result of a merger or scission. If not, ignore these questions.

Put an ‘X’ in either the Merger or Scission box if your transfer is as a result of a business change. If you’ve filled in B5, go to B6.

You should also put an ‘X’ in one box to confirm whether you’ve updated your registered business details in the Rural Payments service or filled in and sent us a ‘separate business questionnaire’. You need to do one of these things before we can make the transfer. Until then, we’ll put your RLE1 form on hold.

Question 13

Part C

Accepted Answer

This page is intentionally blank

Question 14

Part D: Register a land parcel to your holding

Accepted Answer

To register a land parcel to your holding (whether it has been mapped before or not), mark the boundary using a fine-tipped colour pen and mark the correct OS sheet and National Grid (NG) field number if you know it.

If the boundary or part of it, is marked by boundary stones or marker posts you need to show this clearly on your map. Use a different colour pen to draw the boundary that is marked by boundary stones or marker posts. Label this boundary clearly on your map to show it is marked by boundary stones or marker posts. This will reduce the risk of parcels being merged in error in the future.

Write the land parcel number clearly on the map. If you do not know it, you can estimate it. When we register the land parcel to your holding, the land parcel reference number may not be the same as the estimated number. For more information about how to estimate a land parcel reference number read ‘Annex 2 – How to estimate a land parcel reference number’.

It will help us to register the boundary and measure the area correctly if you give us measurements of the boundary from a clearly defined point, such as a corner along an existing boundary, and where it lies in relation to other boundaries.

You do not need to give details of the person you’ve transferred the field from when adding a land parcel to your holding.

To add a land parcel correctly, fill in the following columns on the RLE1 form, Part D: Field transfers and boundary changes as follows.

D4 – Action Code

Fill in the action code ‘N’.

D5 – Effective date of change

Fill in the effective date of change, which is the date when you started (or will start) claiming on the land parcel. If you intend to apply for an agri-environment or woodland scheme agreement, give the ‘effective date of change’ as the date you took legal responsibility for the land parcel. If the date you took legal responsibility was 1 January, fill in the effective date of change as 31 December (the day before).

D6 – New OS map sheet reference and NG number

Fill in the OS map sheet reference and the NG number of the land parcel(s) you are adding.

D7 – Total field size in hectares

Fill in the total land parcel area in hectares, to 4 decimal places – your best estimate.

D9 – CPH for the land parcel

You no longer need to fill in CPH numbers on the RLE1 form, but it may be helpful.

Question 15

Part D: Transfer or remove a land parcel

Accepted Answer

If you want to remove a land parcel, put a cross through the land parcel and write clearly on the map. If you are transferring (selling or leasing) the land to another agricultural holding or if you are taking the land out of agricultural use (for example, as building land or for the construction of a road), write this on the map.

To transfer or remove a land parcel, fill in the Part D: Field transfers and boundary changes columns on the RLE1 form as follows.

D1 – Existing OS map sheet reference and NG number

Fill in the OS map sheet reference and the NG number of the land parcel(s) you are removing or transferring.

D2 – Total field size in hectares

Fill in the total land parcel area in hectares, to 4 decimal places.

D4 – Action Code

Leave this blank if you are transferring the land to another farmer or to the SBI ‘Land removed from your holding’. Fill in the action code ‘B’ if you are transferring the land out of agricultural use.

D5 – Effective date of change

Fill in the effective date of change, which is the date when you’ll transfer (sell or lease) the land parcel.

If you are removing land parcels because your holding type is ‘tenant’ in the Rural Payments service, or the Rural Payments service shows less than 100% of a land parcel as owned, you need to fill in the ‘effective date of change’ as 01/01/2024.

If the land parcel will be used to apply for an agri-environment or woodland scheme, give the ‘effective date of change’ as the date the agri-environment or woodland scheme applicant will take or took legal responsibility for the land parcel.

D6 – New OS map sheet reference and NG number

If you are transferring a land parcel and the size or shape of the land parcel is changing, fill in the estimated new OS map sheet reference and NG number of the land parcel. For more information about how to estimate a land parcel reference number read ‘Annex 2 – How to estimate a land parcel reference number’.

If you are transferring a land parcel and the size or shape is not changing, there is no need to fill in this column.

D7 – Total field size in hectares

If you are transferring a land parcel and the total field size will change, fill in the new estimated area for the land parcel involved, to 4 decimal places. If you are transferring a land parcel and the total field size will not change, there is no need to fill in this column.

D8 – Transfer this field

If you are removing this land parcel and it is being transferred to another person or business (as detailed in part B2), put an ‘X’ in the ‘Transfer this field’ column. If you are removing this land parcel and it is not a transfer, leave this column blank.

D9 – CPH for the land parcel

You no longer need to fill in CPH numbers on the RLE1 form, but it may be helpful.

Question 16

Part D: Change a permanent boundary

Accepted Answer

Cross through the incorrect boundary line and mark the new boundary using a fine tipped colour pen, showing that this is the correct permanent land parcel boundary. Write on the map what type of permanent boundary it is. If the boundary or part of it is marked by boundary stones or marker posts, you need to show this clearly on your map. Use a different colour pen to draw the boundary that is marked by boundary stones or marker posts.

Label this boundary clearly on your map to show it is marked by boundary stones or marker posts. This will reduce the risk of parcels being merged in error in the future.

If you are reducing the size of the land parcel, write on the map to show whether the area that you are removing should be part of another land parcel, given a new land parcel number for its own area, or should not be registered at all as it is not an eligible area.

If you want to change a shared boundary or the boundary of a shared land parcel, please speak with the other land user to make sure that the information you give to us is agreed and consistent.

If the new boundary is not showing on our map or the OS map you are using, it would help us to register the boundary and measure the area correctly if you give us measurements of the new boundary from a clearly defined point, such as a corner along an existing boundary and where it lies in relation to other boundaries.

To record a permanent boundary change to a land parcel correctly, fill in the following columns on the RLE1 form, Part D: Field transfers and boundary changes.

D1 – Existing OS map sheet reference and NG number

Fill in the OS map sheet reference and the NG number of the land parcel for which you are changing the boundary.

D2 – Total field size in hectares

Fill in the old land parcel area, to 4 decimal places.

D4 – Action code

Fill in the action code ‘B’ for a boundary change.

D5 – Effective date of change

Fill in the effective date of change, which is the date when you changed (or will change) the boundary. If you intend to split or alter a parcel shape to claim funding under an agri-environment or woodland scheme, you need to check the terms and conditions of your agreement as well as any agreement specific guidance.

If you make changes after your agreement start date, your agreement will need to be reviewed and updated to reflect the changes.

D6 – New OS map sheet reference and NG number

Fill in the estimated new OS map sheet reference and NG number of the land parcel after the change. These may be the same as the old ones, but you should still give them to us. When we update the land parcel in your digital map, the land parcel number may not be the same as the estimated number.

For more information about how to estimate a land parcel reference number read ‘Annex 2 – How to estimate a land parcel reference number’.

D7 – Total field size in hectares

Fill in the new estimated land parcel area after the boundary change, to 4 decimal places – your best estimate.

Question 17

Part D: Merge land parcels

Accepted Answer

Cross through the previous boundary line using a fine tipped colour pen. Mark on the map the new NG number. You can only merge land parcels when:

the boundary between the land parcels has been permanently removed
both land parcels have the same region classification, for example, you cannot merge parcels that are split by a Less Favoured Area line or a Registered Common boundary

To merge land parcels, fill in the following columns on the RLE1 form, Part D: Field transfers and boundary changes as follows.

D1 – Existing OS map sheet reference and NG number

Fill in the OS map sheet reference and the NG number for each of the land parcels you are combining.

D2 – Total field size in hectares

Fill in the areas of each old land parcel, to 4 decimal places.

D3 – Group

Use the group column to identify all of the land parcels that you are combining. Give your own 2-digit number, for example, 01, 02 or 03, to act as a group code.

Give the same group code to each land parcel you are combining.

D4 – Action Code

Fill in the action code ‘C’ for combining land parcels.

D5 – Effective date of change

Fill in the effective date of change, which is the date you merged (or will merge) the land parcels.

If you intend to merge parcels to claim funding under an agri-environment or woodland scheme, you need to check the terms and conditions of your agreement as well as any agreement specific guidance, to make sure you can make this change and what you need to do. If you make changes after your agreement start date, your agreement will need to be reviewed and updated to reflect the changes.

D6 – New OS map sheet reference and NG number

Fill in the estimated new OS map sheet reference and NG number of the land parcel once it is merged. When we update the land parcel in your digital map, the land parcel reference number may not be the same as the estimated number. For more information about how to estimate a land parcel reference number read ‘Annex 2 – How to estimate a land parcel reference number’.

D7 – Total field size in hectares

Fill in the new estimated area for the merged land parcel, to 4 decimal places – your best estimate.

Question 18

Part D: Split land parcels

Accepted Answer

Mark the new boundary using a fine tipped colour pen. Write on the map what type of permanent boundary it is. If the boundary or part of it is marked by boundary stones or marker posts, you need to show this clearly on your map. Use a different colour pen to draw the boundary that is marked by boundary stones or marker posts. Label this boundary clearly on your map to show it is marked by boundary stones or marker posts. This will reduce the risk of parcels being merged in error in the future.

You should only split land parcels if there’s a permanent boundary within the perimeter boundary of the land parcel shown on the map.

Do not mark boundaries if the land parcel has been split on a temporary basis, for example, using an electric fence or between 2 or more crops.

If the new boundary is not shown on our map or the OS map you are using, it would help us to register the boundary and measure the area correctly if you give us measurements of the new boundary from a clearly defined point, such as a corner along an existing field boundary and where it lies in relation to other boundaries.

To split a land parcel, fill in the following columns on the RLE1 form, Part D: Field transfers and boundary changes as follows.

D1 – Existing OS map sheet reference and NG number

Fill in the OS map sheet reference and the NG number of the land parcel you are dividing.

D2 – Total field size in hectares

Fill in the area of the old land parcel, to 4 decimal places.

D3 – Group

Use the group column to identify all of the land parcels you are dividing. Give your own 2-digit number, for example, 01, 02 or 03 to act as a group code.

Give the same group code to each land parcel you are dividing.

D4 – Action Code

Fill in the action code ‘D’ for dividing land parcels.

D5 – Effective date of change

Fill in this date for each land parcel, this is the date when you split (or will split) the land parcel.

If you intend to split a parcel to claim funding under an agri-environment or woodland scheme, you need to check the terms and conditions of your agreement as well as any agreement specific guidance, to make sure you can make this change and what you need to do. If you make changes after your agreement start date, your agreement will need to be reviewed and updated to reflect the changes.

D6 – New OS map sheet reference and NG number

Fill in the estimated new OS map sheet references and NG numbers of the land parcels once they have been divided. When we update the land parcel in your digital map, the land parcel reference number may not be the same as the estimated number. For more information about how to estimate a land parcel reference number read ‘Annex 2 – How to estimate a land parcel reference number’.

D7 – Total field size in hectares

Fill in the new estimated areas for the new split land parcels, to 4 decimal places – your best estimate.

Question 19

Part D: Add a permanent non-agricultural area or feature

Accepted Answer

Mark the boundary of the feature using a fine tipped colour pen and write clearly on the map what type of feature it is. Where possible, write the land use code from Annex 1 (this will help us record it correctly).

If you need to add an area such as a building or farmyard, so that you can apply for CS options or capital items, you need to add it in the same way as any other land parcel. The whole area should be marked on the map as a single land parcel. You cannot mark a building or part of a yard as an individual land parcel. It should be shown as a separate land cover in the larger farmyard area or surrounding land parcel. It can only be split up if the boundaries you mark on the map show permanent, physical boundaries in the area. Read ‘Permanent land parcel boundaries’ in this guidance for the definition and details of permanent boundaries.

Also read Annex 1: List of permanent non-agricultural areas and features.

To add a feature to the land parcel correctly, fill in the following columns on the RLE1 form, Part D: Field transfers and boundary changes.

D1 – Existing OS map sheet reference and NG number

Fill in the OS map sheet reference and the NG number of the land parcel(s) to which you are adding the feature.

D2 – Total field size in hectares

Fill in the total land parcel area in hectares, to 4 decimal places.

D4 – Action code

Fill in the action code ‘I’ for a feature.

D5 – Effective date of change

Fill in the effective date of change, which is the date when the change took place or will take place.

If you have, or are applying for, an agri-environment or woodland scheme agreement you need to read the relevant guidance.

These will tell you what date to use for the ‘effective date of change’ on the RLE1 form as this may not be the date the actual change was made.

You need to check the terms and conditions of your agreement as well as any agreement specific guidance, to make sure you can make this change and what you need to do. If you make changes after your agreement start date, your agreement will need to be reviewed and updated to reflect the changes.

Question 20

Part D: Remove a permanent non-agricultural area or feature

Accepted Answer

If you want to remove a permanent non-agricultural area or feature from your maps, put a cross through the feature and write clearly on the map that you want to remove it. Where possible, write the new land use code (this will help us record it correctly) – see the Rural payments: land use codes 2024

If you have an agri-environment or woodland scheme agreement you need to check the terms and conditions of your agreement as well as any agreement specific guidance, to make sure you can make this change and what you need to do. If you make changes after your agreement start date, your agreement will need to be reviewed and updated to reflect the changes.

To remove the feature from the land parcel correctly, fill in the following columns on the RLE1 form, Part D: Field transfers and boundary changes.

D1 – Existing OS map sheet reference and NG number

Fill in the OS map sheet reference and the NG number of the land parcel(s) you are removing the feature from.

D2 – Total field size in hectares

Fill in the total land parcel area in hectares, to 4 decimal places.

D4 – Action code

Fill in the action code ‘I’ for a feature.

D5 – Effective date of change

Fill in the effective date of change, which is the date when the change took place or will take place.

If the feature never existed or the date of the change is unknown, fill in the ‘effective date of change’ as 01/01/2024.

If you have, or are applying for, an agri-environment or woodland scheme agreement you need to read the relevant guidance.

These will tell you what date to use for the ‘effective date of change’ on the RLE1 form as this may not be the date the actual change was made.

Question 21

Part D: Change land cover

Accepted Answer

Write ‘Land cover change’ at the top of your sketch map. Clearly label the land parcel with the new land cover (arable land, permanent grassland, permanent crops or non-agricultural). If the land cover is non-agricultural, write the land use code from Annex 1 (this will help us record it correctly).

If there’s more than one land cover in the land parcel you need to clearly mark the areas of each land cover using a fine tipped colour pen. It would help us to register the different areas within the land parcel correctly, if you give us the measurements of the areas from a clearly defined point, such as a corner along an existing boundary and where it lies in relation to other boundaries. Label each area on your map to clearly show the new land cover.

If you have a narrow strip of land (a sliver) between a non-agricultural area such as a track or watercourse, and the boundary of the land parcel, you cannot change the land cover of the sliver to arable land. This is because it is not possible to cultivate these areas.

To record a change of land cover for a land parcel correctly, fill in the following columns on the RLE1 form, Part D: Field transfers and boundary changes.

D1 – Existing OS map sheet reference and NG number

Fill in the OS map sheet reference and the NG number of the land parcel for which you are changing the land cover.

D2 – Total field size in hectares

Fill in the total land parcel area in hectares, to 4 decimal places.

D4 – Action Code

Fill in the action code ‘I’.

D5 – Effective date of change

Fill in the effective date of change, which is the date when you changed (or will change) the land cover.

If you have, or are applying for, an agri-environment or woodland scheme agreement you need to read the relevant guidance.

These will tell you what date to use for the ‘effective date of change’ on the RLE1 form as this may not be the date the actual change was made.

Question 22

Part D: Add hedges

Accepted Answer

Check your digital maps in the Rural Payments service. Make sure you’ve clicked the hedges icon so you can check which boundaries are shown with hedges. You only need to add hedges if you cannot see them on your digital maps and you are using them for:

a CS application – only options BE3 (Management of hedgerows), BN5

(Hedgerow laying) and BN6 (Hedgerow coppicing)

a CS claim – only option BE3

Read the latest scheme rules for more information about including hedges in your claim(s). If you need to add hedges to your digital maps, print a copy of the relevant map(s) with the hedges visible and follow the instructions below.

Mark the boundary of the hedge using a fine tipped colour pen and write clearly on the map if this is a hedge. You also need to clearly state the length of the hedge.

To add a hedge to a land parcel correctly, fill in the following columns on the RLE1 form, Part D: Field transfers and boundary changes.

D1 – Existing OS map sheet reference and NG number

Fill in the OS map sheet reference and the NG number of the land parcel(s) to which you are adding the hedge.

D2 – Total field size in hectares

Fill in the total land parcel area in hectares, to 4 decimal places

D4 – Action Code

Fill in the action code ‘B’ for the boundary feature change.

D5 – Effective date of change

Fill in the effective date of change as 1 January 2024 or, if later, the date when the change took place or will take place.

Question 23

Part D: Multiple changes to a land parcel

Accepted Answer

If you want to make several changes to one land parcel, mark the new boundaries and other features you want to change in the land parcel, following the information earlier in this section.

To record all changes correctly, fill in the following columns on the RLE1 form, Part D: Field transfers and boundary changes.

D1 – Existing OS map sheet reference and NG number

Fill in the OS map sheet reference and the NG number of the land parcel(s) you want to change.

D2 – Total field size in hectares

Fill in the total land parcel area in hectares, to 4 decimal places.

D3 – Group

If you want us to make several changes to one land parcel use the group column to show the change is part of a number (group) of changes to be made on the land parcel. Give your own 2-digit number, for example, 01, 02 or 03 to act as a group code. Use the same group code for each change to that land parcel.

D4 – Action Code

Fill in the relevant action code, for example ‘C’ or ‘D’ or ‘I’ or ‘B’.

D5 – Effective date of change

Fill in the effective date of change, which is the date when the change took place or will take place. If the feature never existed or the date of the change is unknown, fill in the ‘effective date of change’ as 01/01/2024.

If you have, or are applying for, an agri-environment or woodland scheme agreement you need to read the relevant guidance.

These will tell you what date to use for the ‘effective date of change’ on the RLE1 form as this may not be the date the actual change was made.

You need to check the terms and conditions of your agreement as well as any agreement specific guidance, to make sure you can make this change and what you need to do. If you make changes after your agreement start date, your agreement will need to be reviewed and updated to reflect the changes.

D6 – New OS map sheet reference and NG number

Fill in the estimated new OS sheet references and NG numbers of any new land parcel(s). When we update the land parcel(s) in your digital map, the land parcel reference number(s) may not be the same as the estimated number(s).

For more information about how to estimate a land parcel reference number read ‘Annex 2 – How to estimate a land parcel reference number’.

D7 – Total field size in hectares

Fill in the new estimated areas for the new split land parcels, to 4 decimal places – your best estimate.

D8 – Transfer this field

If you are removing or adding a land parcel and it is being transferred to another person or business, put an ‘X’ in the Transfer this field column. If you are removing or adding a land parcel and it is not a transfer, leave this column blank.

D9 – CPH for the land parcel

You no longer need to fill in CPH numbers on the RLE1 form, but it may be helpful.

Question 24

Part E – Supporting documents

Accepted Answer

If you are sending supporting documents with your RLE1 form, we need to know what you’ve included. If you are not sending any supporting documents, please ignore Part E.

Question 25

E1 – Fill in the number of each type of supporting documents that you are sending to us

Accepted Answer

The following maps are acceptable supporting documents:

RPA maps
Natural England Farm Environment Record map
OS or professionally drawn maps

Keep a copy of documents you send to us

We cannot return documents to you. We strongly recommend that you keep a copy of your completed RLE1 form for reference, as well as copies of any maps and supporting documents that you are sending with the RLE1 form.

Question 26

Part F – Your declaration and responsibilities

Accepted Answer

You must read the declaration and responsibilities carefully before signing the RLE1 form.

If you are sending us a paper RLE1 form, remember to:

use capital letters
sign and date the RLE1 form
make sure that you have the correct permission level to sign the RLE1 form – see the ‘Permissions’ table for the Iist of appropriate permission levels complete in your own name, not the name of the business give your customer reference number (CRN) if you have one, or explain your relationship to the beneficiary

We will reject your RLE1 if you cross out or deface the declaration and responsibilities in Part F.

If you are sending us an electronically completed RLE1 form, we do not need a written signature. Fill in the signature box electronically by typing your name. You need to have the correct permission level to submit the RLE1 form. Read about correct permission levels in the ‘Permissions’ table in this guide.

Question 27

Send your RLE1 form to RPA

Accepted Answer

You can email your RLE1 form and any supporting documents to ruralpayments@defra.gov.uk.

You can also send your form and supporting documents by post.

Rural Payments Agency
PO Box 352
Worksop
S80 9FG

When we’ve received your RLE1 form we’ll send you an acknowledgement card which you should keep as proof of receipt.

How to use the electronic RLE1 form

You need to download the RLE1 form and save it onto your computer. You must save the form as a PDF (do not change the file type) and include your SBI in the file name. You can then fill in the form electronically using the existing RLE1 guidance to help you.

If you need to include additional information, please include it in the body of the email when you submit your electronic RLE1 form.

You should download a new copy of the RLE1 form each time you need to make a change so that you’re using the latest version of the form.

Sending sketch maps to us

If you are requesting a change to one or more of the land parcels shown in your digital maps or you are requesting that a new land parcel is mapped to your holding, you will need to send us a sketch map.

Mark the changes on your map as instructed in the RLE1 guidance, then scan it into your computer and save it as a separate document. If you are unable to scan your map into your computer, you can take a photo of the map and then save that as a separate file instead. This must show clearly the change you have requested.

Label the file containing the photo or scanned image with the original land parcel reference (for example, AB12341234). If it’s a new land parcel not previously mapped, use an estimated land parcel reference number. Read the RLE1 guidance for instructions on how to estimate a land parcel reference number.

You do not need to send us a sketch map to remove or transfer a land parcel.

How to sign the form

We do not need a written signature. Fill in the signature box electronically by typing your name. You must have the correct permission level to submit the RLE1 form. Read the ‘Permission level’ section for information about correct permission levels.

How to send us your electronic RLE1 form

When you have filled in your electronic RLE1 form, send it to us as a PDF attached to an email. You must make sure that the email address you’re sending the RLE1 form from is registered in the Rural Payments service and has the correct permission level for the business the RLE1 form relates to.

We’ll only accept electronic RLE1 forms if you return them as a PDF attached to an email. Photos and scanned maps if needed, must also be attached to the same email as separate files. The maximum size of emails that we can accept is 32MB. If the email exceeds this limit, please send a further email and use the same subject heading. Add the number of emails at the end of the subject heading, for example, 1 of 3, 2 of 3, 3 of 3. For security reasons, we cannot accept discs, USB pen drives or other external storage media.

Send your electronically completed RLE1 form and any supporting documents by email to ruralpayments@defra.gov.uk.

If you are requesting a change to your digital maps, put ‘RLE1 Land Change’ and your SBI in the email subject heading.

The subject heading is important because without the correct wording, your request may be delayed.

We strongly recommend that you keep a copy of your email and the information that you send to us.

What happens next

We’ll send you an automatic email acknowledgement when we receive your email.

If we need to contact you about your request, we’ll send you a further email.

You will receive a notification in the Rural Payments service when we complete the entitlements transfer by sale, gift or lease, or land changes.

Changing or withdrawing your RLE1 form

Only the person who signed the RLE1 form can change or withdraw it. They can do this up to the day before the ‘effective date’.

If we have already rejected your RLE1 form because it was not valid, you cannot change or withdraw it. You may choose to fill in and send a new RLE1 form to us.

Call our helpline on 03000 200 301, email ruralpayments@defra.gov.uk or write to us.

Rural Payments Agency
PO Box 352
Worksop
S80 9FG

We will contact only the farmer or business making the change to confirm that we have accepted their request.

Our basic check of RLE1 forms

We carry out a basic check on any RLE1 forms you send to us.

Part A: General details

Is there a 9-digit SBI present?

Part F: Your declaration and responsibilities

Have any of the declarations or responsibilities been amended in any way?

Has the form been signed (either a written signature or by filling in the signature box electronically) and a name entered on the form?

We will reject an RLE1 form and return it with a letter if part A and F are not completed correctly, or part F has been amended in any way.

If we require further information on sections B and D, we will contact you and request this information. You should send us this information as soon as you can because we cannot process your RLE1 form without it, and this could affect your applications, claims and payments.

Question 28

Annex 1 – List of permanent non-agricultural areas and features

Accepted Answer

All the features and areas appearing in this list need to be mapped for your registered land parcels, whichever scheme you apply for. This applies whether they form part of the parcel boundary or are ‘in-field’ features.

If we’ve already mapped the areas or features, you do not need to tell us about them again. If we have not, you need to fill in an RLE1 form and send it to us together with a sketch map or complete a Rural Land Change request in the Rural Payments service.

Agricultural buildings

Land use	Definition	Land use code
Farm building	A building used for livestock husbandry, cultivation or the storage of crops, feed and machinery, and associated residences, for example, farmhouses.	AB01
Farmyard	The open ground, generally of hard standing or compacted earth, surrounding farm buildings.	AB09
Glasshouse, including polytunnels	This code should be used for glasshouses on a hard standing. For BPS, also use this code if the glasshouse is being used to grow ineligible crops. A horticultural building constructed largely of glass, which is on a hard standing or used to grow ineligible crops. The area of a glasshouse that is on a natural surface and is being used to grow eligible crops should be declared using the land use of the eligible crops.	AB06

Banks, hedges and stone walls not protected under cross compliance

Land use	Definition	Land use code
Non-utilised bank	This code should only be used for banks which are inaccessible or not protected under cross compliance. A bank is a raised linear feature that is artificially constructed and predominantly made up of earth. A bank can have a vegetated, bare earth or stone surface.	PL01
Stone wall	This code should only be used for stone walls which are not protected under cross compliance. Stone walls protected under cross compliance should be coded using the land use code for the main land use of the parcel. A stone wall is a wall structure built with stones, traditionally with loose field stones and mortar.	BB01

Coastal features

Land use	Definition	Land use code
Cliff	A feature representing a steep rock face, most commonly occurring where the land meets the sea. Cliffs may be semi-natural, in the case of disused mineral workings, or man-made in the case of rock faces resulting from construction activity.	CF01
Sand dunes	An area of sand dunes (ridges of sand created by the wind).	CF03
Vegetated shingle	An area of water-worn pebbles which supports growth of vegetation.	CF02

Cultivated and managed features

Land use	Definition	Land use code
Peat production	This code should only be used for an area of land which is permanently used to produce peat. An area of land is permanently used to produce peat if the production has taken (or will take) place for 3 years or more. Peat production is an area of land used for peat extraction.	CM01
Turf production	This code should only be used for a site which is permanently used to produce turf for fuel. A site is permanently used to produce turf for fuel if the production has taken (or will take) place for 3 years or more. Turf for later replanting will be considered part of the agricultural area of the land parcel and should be coded as either permanent grassland or temporary grassland. Turf production is a site used for the production of turf, a surface layer of earth containing a dense growth of grass and its roots.	CM02

Heaps

Land use	Definition	Land use code
Heap	A permanent pile of farm produce or refuse, for example straw, manure, compost, hay or silage. A heap is permanent if it has been kept at the same location for 3 years or more.	HE03

Inland water and wetland features

Land use	Definition	Land use code
Bog	An area of land which is normally waterlogged throughout the year and consists of spongy moss and peat. Bogs most often occur in low lying flat areas with poor drainage, and in upland areas of high rainfall.	IW07
Fen, marsh and swamp	An area of low and flat waterlogged land.	IW06
Shingle	An area of small rounded pebbles.	IW05
Watercourse – ditch, drain or dyke	This code should only be used for a drain, ditch or dyke which is inside the land parcel and is not part of the parcel boundary. A drain, ditch or dyke is an artificial channel used to carry excess water from low-lying areas.	WF01
Watercourse – river or stream (Rivers and Streams Type 2)	This code should only be used for a river or stream which is inside the land parcel and is not part of the parcel boundary, and is less than 4m wide over most of its length. A river or stream is a body of water flowing in a definite channel towards the sea, a lake or into another river.	IW02
Watercourse – river or stream (Rivers and Streams Type 3)	This code should only be used for a river or stream which is inside the land parcel and is not part of the parcel boundary, and is greater than or equal to 4m wide over most of its length. A river or stream is a body of water flowing in a definite channel towards the sea, a lake or into another river.	IW03

Man-made transport, surfaces, storage areas and utility features

Land use	Definition	Land use code
Airstrip and airports	Airstrip – a stretch of land which has been cleared so that light aircraft can take off and land. The area is defined by the edges of the landing strip. Grass air strips which are only used for part of the year on land which is normally agricultural should be declared as agricultural land. Airport – an area of land where aircraft land and take off and which provides facilities for handling passengers, air freight and servicing aircraft.	MT05
General utility	A type of permanent infrastructure on land that is not covered by other utility classifications. Examples include water tanks and butts.	UT06
Hard standing	A man-made, open ground surface built using aggregate, concrete-type construction materials.	HS01
Mineral extraction site	A site used for mineral extraction. Includes both currently operational and disused sites.	MS04
Railway	Steel bars or a continuous line of bars laid on the ground, usually forming a track used for the movement of trains.	MT04
Road	A metalled or surfaced way that is clearly marked, permanent and forms part of a wider road network with, for example, road markings, road names or road numbers.	MT03
Scattered man-made features	Any man-made features which are scattered in a land parcel. This code should be used only for scattered features within a land parcel which are too small to map individually but which, when added together, have a combined area of 0.01ha or greater. Scattered features are also referred to as ‘notional features’.	NF07
Solar panels	An area taken up by solar panels and solar panel arrays. Land parcels which contain solar panels are ineligible for BPS. If the panels are concentrated in one end of a field, the rest of the land can be eligible if the 2 areas are registered as individual land parcels and separated by a permanent boundary.	UT01
Structure	A manmade structure that is not described under any other land use code. Examples include animal shelters or polytunnels on a hard standing.	ST05
Manmade track (metalled)	A metalled or surfaced way that is clearly marked and permanent. Includes any manmade surface, such as areas of asphalt, concrete and gravel.	MT01
Water treatment works	A site where water is treated and supplied.	UT07

Marine wetland features

Land use	Definition	Land use code
Intertidal habitats	An area of sand or mud uncovered at low tide.	MW04
Reed bed	This code should only be used for reed beds which are not kept in a state suitable for grazing or are in an area where grasses and other herbaceous forage are not predominant. Grazeable reed beds in an area where grasses and other herbaceous forage remain predominant should be coded as permanent grassland. A reed bed is an area of tall, stiff marsh or water grass of various kinds.	MW03
Saline habitats	A coastal area with a sodium chloride content of at least 0.5%.	MW05
Salt marsh	This code should only be used for salt marshes which are not kept in a state suitable for grazing or are in an area where grasses and other herbaceous forage are not predominant. Grazeable salt marsh in an area where grasses and other herbaceous forage remain predominant should be coded as permanent grassland. Salt marsh is an area of coastal grassland which is frequently inundated by the sea.	MW01
Tidal areas	Tidal areas other than salt marshes.	MW02

Mixed, scattered non-agricultural features

Land use	Definition	Land use code
Scattered features – mixed	This code can be used for a combination of more than one type of the scattered features described in this table. This code should only be used only for scattered features within a land parcel which are too small to map individually but which, when added together, have a combined area of 0.01ha or greater. Scattered features are also referred to as ‘notional features’.	NF08
Scattered natural features	Natural features that are scattered in a land parcel, are not kept in a state suitable for grazing or cultivation, are not protected under cross compliance, and are not included under any other land use codes. This code should only be used only for scattered features within a land parcel which are too small to map individually but which, when added together, have a combined area of 0.01ha or greater. Scattered features are also referred to as ‘notional features’.	NF06

Natural transport features – tracks and gallops

Land use	Definition	Land use code
Gallop	A track with a grass or manmade surface that is used for horses to gallop on when being trained for horse racing. Grass gallops can exceptionally be considered part of the agricultural area of a land parcel but only if the applicant can prove that the non-agricultural activity does not significantly interfere with agricultural activity.	NT01
Track – natural surface	This code should only be used for a natural, unsurfaced track or path which is not used as part of the agricultural activity carried out on the land parcel or is part of a transport network entering and exiting the land parcel. Natural paths and tracks which are used as part of the agricultural activity carried out on the land parcel and are not part of a transport network entering and exiting the land parcel should be coded using the land use code for the main land use of the parcel.	NT03

Recreational and non-recreational buildings, and recreational land

Land use	Definition	Land use code
Golf course	Bunkers, greens, fairways and areas of rough that are part of the playing course. Includes putting greens and driving ranges. Golf courses can exceptionally be considered part of the agricultural area of a land parcel, but only if the applicant can prove that the non-agricultural activity does not significantly interfere with agricultural activity.	RL04
Residential dwelling, house	Residential dwellings, including domestic outbuildings.	NR01
Residential garden	A garden making up part of a residential dwelling.	WO17
Sports and recreation	An area of land used for permanent sports and recreational activities.	RL03

Rocky features

Land use	Definition	Land use code
Boulders	An area of large, rounded rocks that are weathered or water-worn and have a diameter that is greater than 0.2m.	RO03
Cliff	A feature representing a steep rock face, most commonly occurring where the land meets the sea. Cliffs may be semi-natural, in the case of disused mineral workings, or man-made in the case of rock faces resulting from construction activity.	CF01
Rocky outcrop	A protrusion of rocks above the ground in a conspicuous form.	RO04
Scattered rock	Any naturally occurring scattered elements of a rocky nature. Includes small outcrops, areas of shingle or scree, small boulders and so on. This code should only be used only for scattered features within a land parcel which are too small to map individually but which, when added together, have a combined area of 0.01ha or greater. Scattered features are also referred to as ‘notional features’.	NF01
Scree	A mass of loose stones on the side of a steep rock face.	RO02

Storage areas

Land use	Definition	Land use code
Storage area	An area of bare earth which is used for storage purposes. Includes storage of farm-related machinery and hay bales.	SA02

Trees, foliage, scrubland, woodland and forestry

Land use	Definition	Land use code
Bracken, heather and heathland	Bracken – this code should only be used for an area of bracken which is not kept in a state suitable for grazing or is in an area where grasses and other herbaceous forage are not predominant. Grazeable bracken in an area where grasses and other herbaceous forage remain predominant should be coded as permanent grassland. Bracken is an area covered predominantly by a type of fern (Pteridium aquilinum) found together with other species in heathland or hill sides. See also ‘Scattered bracken or heather’. Heather – this code should only be used for an area of heather which is not kept in a state suitable for grazing. Grazeable heather should be coded as permanent grassland. Heather is an area covered predominantly by common heather and various species of the Cassiope or Erica genus. See also ‘Scattered bracken or heather’.	HE02
Scattered bracken or heather	Scattered bracken – areas of bracken which are scattered in a land parcel, are not kept in a state suitable for grazing or are in an area where grasses and other herbaceous forage are not predominant. Scattered bracken which is grazeable and in an area where grasses and other herbaceous forage remain predominant should be coded as permanent grassland. Scattered heather – areas of heather which are scattered in a land parcel and are not kept in a state suitable for grazing. Scattered heather which is grazeable should be coded as permanent grassland. This code should be used only for scattered features within a land parcel which are too small to map individually but which, when added together, have a combined area of 0.01ha or greater. Scattered features are also referred to as ‘notional features’.	NF02
Scattered scrub	This code should only be used for patches of scrub which are scattered in a land parcel and are not kept in a state suitable for grazing or are in an area where grasses and other herbaceous forage are not predominant. Includes patches of scrub which are too dense to be grazed. Scattered scrub which is grazeable and in an area where grasses and other herbaceous forage remain predominant should be coded as permanent grassland. This code should only be used only for scattered features within a land parcel which are too small to map individually but which, when added together, have a combined area of 0.01ha or greater. Scattered features are also referred to as ‘notional features’.	NF03
Scrub	This code should only be used for scrub which is not kept in a state suitable for grazing or is in an area where grasses and other herbaceous forage are not predominant. Includes scrub which is too dense to be grazed. Grazeable scrub in an area where grasses and other herbaceous forage remain predominant should be coded as permanent grassland. Scrub is an area of shrubs and bushes, including rhododendrons, gorse, briar and broom. See also ‘Scattered scrub’.	WO25
Woodland	An area of woodland preventing agricultural activity. Includes areas where the density of trees prevents the growth of vegetative under-storey needed to support agricultural activity.	WO12

Water and irrigation features

Land use	Definition	Land use code
Pond	An area of fresh water, often artificially constructed, which is smaller than a lake. Includes artificially created scrapes which are winter feeding areas for wading birds.	WF03
Scattered water features	Any naturally occurring scattered elements of a watery nature. Includes small ponds, springs and so on. This code should be used only for scattered features within a land parcel which are too small to map individually but which, when added together, have a combined area of 0.01ha or greater. Scattered features are also referred to as ‘notional features’.	NF05

Question 29

Annex 2 – How to estimate a land parcel reference number

Accepted Answer

When registering new land, you need an estimated parcel ID number.

Estimate your field number using the online tool

You can use Defra Magic Maps to get the parcel ID reference. The MAGIC website is managed by Natural England and provides authoritative geographic information about the natural environment from across government. It is presented in an interactive map which can be explored using various mapping tools that are included.

You can use MAGIC to get a grid reference for a point by using the ‘Where Am I’ tool. There are FAQs and a Help function on the website.

Estimate your field number manually

Find your sheet reference

The unique reference number is comprised of the OS sheet reference and the NG field number. It is important that you use the correct OS sheet reference for each field entered on the land registration form. The sheet reference number must always consist of just 2 letters and 4 numbers that represent the 1km square within which your field parcel lies. This needs to be the 1:2,500 sheet number which, if not available can be derived from a 1:10,000 map.

The UK is divided into 100km grid squares with individual letters. Identify the square your field is in. This forms the first part of your sheet reference.

Each grid square is split into 10km squares that are numbered. Use the numbers on the bottom of the map first (the eastings), then the numbers up the side (the northings) to make the sheet reference numbers. The best way to remember this is ‘along the corridor and up the stairs’.

Put the sheet letters, the 2 eastings numbers and the 2 northings numbers together to make your sheet reference (for example, SP4178).

Question 30

Find your field number

Accepted Answer

To create a unique field number, first estimate by eye and mark as a dot or cross on the map the centre point of your field. To identify your field parcel centre numbers you will need a ruler and pencil to draw lines from the map edge to the field centre.

Then, work out how many metres the centre point is from the south-west corner of the map using the map scale and gridlines. Go along the bottom first (the eastings) then up the side (the northings). The field number is made up of the first 2 digits of each number.

For example, if the centre point is 630m along the bottom and 320m up the side, the field number is 63 32. If the centre point is 150m along the bottom and 70m up the side, the field number is 15 07.

Question 31

Annex 3 – Counting slopes when measuring total field size

Accepted Answer

Measure your areas of sloping land in 2 dimensions.

Land parcels surveyed up until 2017 to account for the additional area of sloping land, and their 3-dimensional maximum area eligible values accepted by us, will remain valid. But if other land changes are needed, the area will revert to a 2 dimensional area.

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Applies to England

When to use the RLE1 form

Permissions levels

Table 1

What to use the RLE1 form or Rural Payments service for

What to do if you’ve already submitted an RLE1 form

Transfer land

Changes to business

When not to use the Rural Payments service or an RLE1 form

Read the scheme rules

Check your land details

How we contact you about changes to your digital maps

Registering land and making mapping changes

Where to find your digital maps

How to print your digital maps

When to use an RLE1 form to update your digital maps

Pending changes

Sending sketch maps to us

Send your maps and RLE1 form to us together.

Marking changes on sketch maps

What land to register

Agricultural land parcels

Non-agricultural land parcels

Permanent land parcel boundaries

Using marker posts as a permanent boundary

Boundaries across more than one part of the UK

What is not a permanent boundary

Cropping splits and ownership boundaries

Shared land parcels

How to register changes to permanent boundaries

Non-agricultural areas and features

Tell us about permanent non-agricultural areas or features that are not on your digital maps

‘Scattered features’

Trees and woodland

Apply for and claim rural payments

Transferring or removing land

Transferring or removing land where the holding type in the Rural Payments service is shown as tenant or as owner but the percentage owned is less than 100%

Land cover changes

What land cover is

How to tell us about changes to your land cover

Agri-environment and woodland schemes – changing land cover

How to check and update your digital maps

How to fill in your RLE1 form

Part A: General details

Part B: Transfer details

B1 – How are you disposing of your land?

B2 – Details of the business you are transferring land to

B3a – CPH number of the business receiving the land

B3b – Effective date of transfer

B3c – Lease start date

B4 – Lease end date

B5 and B6 – Merger or Scission

Part C

Part D: Register a land parcel to your holding

D4 – Action Code

D5 – Effective date of change

D6 – New OS map sheet reference and NG number

D7 – Total field size in hectares

D9 – CPH for the land parcel

Part D: Transfer or remove a land parcel

D1 – Existing OS map sheet reference and NG number

D2 – Total field size in hectares

D4 – Action Code

D5 – Effective date of change

D6 – New OS map sheet reference and NG number

D7 – Total field size in hectares

D8 – Transfer this field

D9 – CPH for the land parcel

Part D: Change a permanent boundary

D1 – Existing OS map sheet reference and NG number

D2 – Total field size in hectares

D4 – Action code

D5 – Effective date of change

D6 – New OS map sheet reference and NG number

D7 – Total field size in hectares

Part D: Merge land parcels

D1 – Existing OS map sheet reference and NG number

D2 – Total field size in hectares

D3 – Group