Guidance

Agreement holders’ information: Environmental Stewardship

Guidance on how to meet the requirements for an Environmental Stewardship agreement.

Applies to England

Modified terms and conditions effective from 1 January 2023

You must follow the modified terms and conditions that come into effect on 1 January 2023.

Read the 2022 addendum for the detailed changes made to the 2nd edition (2008), 3rd edition (2010) and 4th edition (2013), Entry Level, Organic Entry Level, Uplands Entry Level and Higher Level Stewardship handbooks.

About Environmental Stewardship

Environmental Stewardship (ES) is a land management scheme. The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) manages existing agreements until they reach their agreed end date.

There are 3 levels to the scheme:

  • Entry Level Stewardship (ELS) – includes Uplands ELS: simple and effective land management agreements with priority options
  • Organic Entry Level Stewardship (OELS) – includes Uplands OELS: organic and conventional mixed farming agreements
  • Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) - more complex types of management and agreements tailored to local circumstances.

Use the correct handbook for your agreement

The terms and conditions of your existing agreements are determined by the relevant scheme handbook.

Handbook 1: agreement start dates from 1 February 2006 to 30 September 2008

ELS handbook:

OELS handbook:

HLS handbook

Handbook 2: agreement start dates from 1 October 2008 to 31 December 2009

ELS handbook:

OELS handbook:

HLS handbook:

Handbook 3: agreement start dates from 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2012

ELS handbook:

OELS handbook:

HLS handbook:

Handbook 4: agreement start dates from 1 January 2013 to 1 December 2014

Forms and guidance

Use the forms and guidance to help you manage your ES agreement.

Contact

Email ruralpayments@defra.gov.uk

Telephone 03000 200 301

Or use the postal address for your county.

County Address of office for these counties
Avon, Cornwall, Devon, Isles of Scilly, Somerset, Wiltshire Rural Payments Agency, Environmental Stewardship (Bristol), PO Box 4894, SLOUGH SL1 0FU
Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Cheshire, Essex, Greater London, Greater Manchester, Hertfordshire, Lancashire, Merseyside, Norfolk, Northamptonshire, Oxfordshire, Suffolk, Surrey Rural Payments Agency, Environmental Stewardship (Cambridge), PO Box 4896, SLOUGH SL1 0GB
Cleveland, Cumbria, Durham, Humberside, Northumberland, North Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, Tyne & Wear, West Yorkshire Rural Payments Agency, Environmental Stewardship (Leeds), PO Box 4895, SLOUGH SL1 0FW
Derbyshire, Dorset, East Sussex, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Herefordshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Rutland, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, West Midlands, West Sussex, Worcestershire Rural Payments Agency, Environmental Stewardship (Worcester), PO Box 4897, SLOUGH SL1 0GE
Published 11 September 2012
Last updated 31 October 2022 + show all updates
  1. Addendum to the terms and conditions for 2nd edition (2008), 3rd edition (2010) and 4th edition (2013), Entry Level, Organic Entry Level, Uplands Entry Level and Higher Level Stewardship agreement holders added as a PDF attachment.

  2. Office details updated with new single point of contact telephone number and email address

  3. Removal of information about hot and dry weather conditions, payment information,and changes to digital maps. Updates to address details.

  4. Link to guidance for those finding it difficult to meet scheme requirements due to hot and dry weather conditions.

  5. Link to guidance on how changes to digital maps in Rural Payments service may affect agreements added.

  6. Added section on the way payment split is changing for multi year grants.

  7. Mapping updates section added.

  8. Page updates for new Countryside Stewardship scheme

  9. notice about ELS schemes closing to new applicants

  10. update for transition to GOV.UK

  11. Added note about closure for new 2013 applications.

  12. Updated links to 4th edition handbooks. Removed case study.

  13. First published.