Annex 2 – Lowland grazing offer options

Use this section to help you complete your Lowland grazing offer options

Your land must be registered in the Rural Payments service to the SBI you’re submitting the application for.

For the ‘Lowland grazing offer’ you must apply for at least 2 options including:

  • at least 1 from ‘Nectar and pollen’ options

  • at least 1 from ‘Nesting and shelter’ options.

You can apply for as many other ‘Lowland grazing offer’ options as you wish.

Lowland grazing offer – step 1 – Apply for nectar and pollen options

For ‘Nectar and pollen sources for insect pollinators and insect-rich foraging for birds’ you must:

  • apply for at least 1 option

  • use at least 2% of the land in your application (this means use at least 2ha per 100ha of land in your application).

Diagram 46

This screen shows the code and name of each option. For more information read Countryside Stewardship grants.

It also shows the total area of the land parcels in the application where the land use is eligible for the option. As well as the total area (in hectares to 4 decimal places) you are applying for under each option.

The text at the top of the screen shows the following (in hectares to 4 decimal places):

  • 2% of the land in your application

  • the total area you have applied for under this option.

Click ‘Open’ for each option you want to apply for. All the land parcels with a land use eligible for the option are listed. You may need to scroll down the screen to see them all.

Add the amount of land you want to apply for under the relevant options.

The information on the screen is explained below:

  • Sheet Number – the Ordnance Survey sheet reference.

  • Parcel Number – the specific land parcel reference number.

  • Parcel name – the name you have previously allocated to the land parcel.

  • Crop type description – the land use code and land use description for the land parcel. If the land parcel has more than one eligible land use, they will be listed on separate lines.

  • Eligible (ha) – the total area of land that is eligible for the option (based on the land use code).

  • Applied for (ha) – the area of the land parcel you are applying for under the option (in hectares to 4 decimal places).

When the amounts for each land parcel are correct, click ‘Save’, before you click ‘Back’ which will take you back to the list of options.

Click ‘Close’ after you have added all the land you want to apply for under these options, to take you back to the ‘Edit your application’ list.

Lowland grazing offer – step 2 – Apply for nesting and shelter options

For the ‘Lowland grazing offer’ you must apply for at least 2 options including:

  • at least 1 from ‘Nectar and pollen’ options

  • at least 1 from ‘Nesting and shelter’ options.

You can apply for as many other ‘Lowland grazing offer’ options as you wish.

For ‘Nesting and shelter for insect pollinators and birds’ you must:

  • apply for at least 1 option; and

  • use at least 500m of hedge for BE3; or

  • use at least 1% of the land in your application for GS1.

Diagram 47

This screen shows the code and name of each option. For more information read Countryside Stewardship grants.

It also shows the options measured in hectares (to 4 decimal places) or metres (in whole numbers) where the land use is eligible for the option. As well as the area or length you’re applying for under each option.

The text at the top of the screen confirms that you must apply for 1 of the options to meet the minimum requirement.

Click ‘Open’ for each item you want to apply for. All the land parcels with a land use eligible for the option are listed. You may need to scroll down the screen to see them all.

Add the length of hedge or amount of land you want to apply for under each option.

The information on the screen is explained below:

  • Sheet Number – the Ordnance Survey sheet reference.

  • Parcel Number – the specific land parcel reference number.

  • Parcel name – the name of the land parcel if you have previously given it a name.

  • Crop type description – the land use code and land use description for the land parcel. If the land parcel has more than one eligible land use, they will be listed on separate lines.

For option BE3 the screen will include:

  • Applied for (metres) – the length of hedge in metres you’re applying for under each land parcel. The length should be a whole number. If you enter a number with a decimal place, this will round automatically.

For option GS1 the screen will include:

  • Eligible (ha) – the total area of land that is eligible for the option (based on the land use code).
  • Applied for (ha) – the area of the land parcel you are applying for under the option, (in hectares to 4 decimal places).

For all options:

When the length or area for each land parcel is correct, click ‘Save’, before you click ‘Back’ which will take you back to the list of options.

Click ‘Close’ after you have added all the land you want to apply for under these options, to take you back to the ‘Edit your application’ list.

Lowland grazing offer – step 3 – Apply for optional additional resources and habitat options

For the ‘Lowland grazing offer’ you must apply for at least 2 options including:

  • at least 1 from ‘Nectar and pollen’ options

  • at least 1 from ‘Nesting and shelter’ options.

You can apply for as many other ‘Lowland grazing offer’ options as you wish, including these additional resources and habitat options.

If you have a scheduled monument on a land parcel, you must choose the most appropriate option to manage that feature. For more information about managing scheduled monuments read the guidance on the Selected Heritage Inventory for Natural England (SHINE) website, click guidance, then useful links.

Diagram 48

This screen shows the code and name of each option. For more information read Countryside Stewardship grants.

This also shows the total area of the land parcels in the application where the land use is eligible for the option. As well as the total area (in hectares to 4 decimal places) you are applying for under each option.

GS17 Lenient Grazing – you should only use this option if you have applied for GS2 Permanent Grassland under ‘Nectar and pollen’ options.

Click ‘Open’ for each option you want to apply for. All the land parcels with a land use eligible for the option are listed. You may need to scroll down the screen to see them all.

Add the amount of land you want to apply for under the relevant options.

This screen includes:

  • Sheet Number – the Ordnance Survey sheet reference.

  • Parcel Number – the specific land parcel reference number.

  • Parcel name – the name you have previously allocated to the land parcel.

  • Crop type description – the land use code and land use description for the land parcel. If the land parcel has more than one eligible land use, they will be listed on separate lines.

  • Eligible (ha) – the total area of land that is eligible for the option (based on the land use code).

  • Applied for (ha) – the area of the land parcel you are applying for under the option (in hectares to 4 decimal places). (For HS1, to convert hectares to metres squared, divide the ‘Applied for (ha)’ area by 10,000.)

When the amounts for each land parcel are correct, click ‘Save’, before you click ‘Back’ which will take you back to the list of options.

Click ‘Close’ after you have added all the land you want to apply for under these options, to take you back to the ‘Edit your application’ list.