Extreme weather guidance for farmers and land managers
What to do if your land is affected by an extreme weather event, such as flooding, extreme heat or a prolonged period of very dry or wet weather.
Applies to England
Environmental land management schemes
You must tell RPA if an extreme weather event prevents you from temporarily or permanently meeting the option or action requirements for the following land management scheme agreements:
- Countryside Stewardship (CS)
- Environmental Stewardship (ES)
- Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI)
You should tell RPA about your change of circumstances in writing as soon as possible, and within 8 weeks of being able to do so. This will normally mean within 8 weeks of the extreme weather event occurring, but where this is not possible you should explain why you could not tell RPA sooner.
You need to include your Single Business Identifier and agreement number, details of what options, actions or requirements you are unable to meet, and the reasons you are unable to meet them. You must explain any steps you have taken to establish or manage the options or actions and what, if anything, you will still be able to deliver. RPA will use this information to decide what action to take and if there is any impact on your payments. RPA will tell you the outcome of any decisions in writing.
You can contact RPA by email at ruralpayments@defra.gov.uk or you can write to:
Rural Payments Agency
PO Box 352
Worksop
S80 9FG
For ES and CS agreements only, if you expect to resume normal management by the following scheme year, you should request a temporary adjustment to your agreement. The best way to do this is to complete the Minor and temporary adjustment (MTA) form. Once you have completed the form, you should return it to RPA by following the instruction in the MTA form, about how to ‘Return your form’.
You do not need to contact RPA if they issue a derogation for all agreements containing certain options or actions. Or if RPA publish temporary easements that apply to your circumstances. If you are not sure if a temporary easement applies to you, you should contact RPA.
When extreme weather changes your land permanently, you should check whether you need to make corresponding changes to your digital maps.
When Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) land is affected
If SSSI land is affected and you need to carry out remedial work or boundary repairs or both, you may need consent from Natural England before you start any work.
Where you need to carry out emergency works you can do this without Natural England’s consent. However, you must notify Natural England and include details of the emergency as soon as you can.
If a Farm Woodland Scheme, Farm Woodland Premium Scheme or English Woodland Grant Scheme is affected
If you have concerns about a grant scheme that is administered by the Forestry Commission rather than by the Rural Payments Agency, contact them directly using the relevant mailbox. If you’re not sure what that is, email the Forestry Commission.
Deal with dangerous or fallen trees on your land
You do not need a felling licence to fell a dangerous tree or remove a fallen tree.
You should gather evidence that supports your decision that the tree was an imminent danger. If possible, you should take photos (with reference to scale) that show the tree setting and condition before and after felling or if fallen. Other forms of evidence might include maps, site surveys or reports and, importantly, a record that confirms when tree felling took place.
For information on the felling licence process, please read Felling licence: getting permission.
Keeping farm animals and horses in extreme weather
Read about keeping farm animals and horses in extreme weather.
Report animal movements
Animal keepers
Where the welfare or survival of livestock is at risk due to any extreme weather event, you must move them to a safe location. You should do this as soon as possible, providing it is safe to do so.
Cattle keepers
You must record and report cattle movements. You may not be able to report the movements to another holding, or cattle births and deaths, within regulatory deadlines. You must update your farm records and report births, movements, and deaths as soon as possible after moving the animals to a safe location.
If you have any problems:
- keepers in England should contact the British Cattle Movement Service (BCMS) on 0345 050 1234
- keepers in Wales should call 0345 050 3456
- keepers in Scotland should contact Scot EID on 01466 794323
Sheep, goat and pig keepers
For sheep, goat and pig keepers, where it has been necessary for you to move the animals to land on another holding, you may not be able to complete the movement documents normally required before moving the animals. You must update your records with details of the movement and complete the movement documents as soon as possible after moving the animals to a safe location. You can report your movements online using the Livestock Information Service, a movement document will be created and available to print.
If you have already moved or still need to move your livestock inside the 6-day standstill period, the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) will licence these moves. You should contact APHA on 03000 200 301.
Report movements for unregistered calves and cattle under restrictions
You may need to move cattle when some or all of them are very young, unregistered calves that don’t have a passport, or are under one of the following restrictions.
- Individual Movement Restriction (CPP 27)
- Whole Herd Movement Restriction (CPP 28)
- Notice to Identify (CPP 30)
- Notice of Registration (CPP 35)
If you’re moving them to a safe location that is part of the same holding, you do not need to notify BCMS or Scot EID because no movement has taken place off the holding.
If the safe location is on a different holding, you must ask for a movement licence, which will be backdated to the movement date, as soon as possible after the animals have been moved. To do this:
- keepers in England should contact BCMS on 0345 050 1234
- keepers in Wales should call 0345 050 3456
- keepers in Scotland should contact Scot EID on 01466 794323
If the animals without passports are very young calves and ear tags have not yet been fitted, you do not need to fit ear tags before the calves are moved.
You must keep movement licences with your on-farm herd records and update those records with movement details as soon as possible.
Once the extreme weather has subsided, you can return animals to the original holding. You will need to request a further movement licence by calling BCMS, or Scot EID. You will need to give the reference number of the original movement licence. This second licence will only allow you to move the animals back to the holding they came from.
Report delays to TB testing
You should tell Animal Plant and Health Agency (APHA) that you have not or cannot complete your TB test due to flooding.
What happens if site visits are affected
We will postpone any scheduled site visits in affected areas until the situation eases.
Contact us
Email ruralpayments@defra.gov.uk or write to us at:
Rural Payments Agency
PO Box 352
Worksop
S80 9FG
Call us on 03000 200 301
Updates to this page
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Update to guidance on notifying RPA of land management agreement impacts
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temporary adjustment date changes
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Updated to include information about the new wet weather guidance
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Removed references to BPS
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Addition of information about the government's announcement to provide financial support through the Flood Recovery Framework and the Farming Recovery Fund.
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Removed cross compliance requirements for England. Cross compliance no longer applies in England from 1 January 2024.
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First published.