SFI actions for hedgerows
Find out about the SFI actions for hedgerows, what land is eligible for each action, and what you need to do to get paid.
Applies to England
This section contains the mandatory requirements for the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) actions for hedgerows. These requirements are part of your SFI agreement.
You can choose which of these SFI actions to do and what length of eligible hedgerows to do them on.
What we explain in each SFI action
The details of each SFI action explain:
- the action’s aim
- where you can do the action - this includes what land is eligible, whether it’s a rotational or static action, and which other environmental land management actions or options you can do on the same area within a land parcel (noting that it may also be possible to do part-parcel actions on another area within the same land parcel)
- what you need to do for the action
- when to do the action
- how to do the action – which is up to you, as long as it’s done in a way that could reasonably be expected to achieve the action’s aim
- what evidence to keep
Overview of the SFI actions for hedgerows
The SFI actions for hedgerows are focused on improving their management to provide well-developed hedgerows and hedgerow trees.
These actions include:
- HRW1: Assess and record hedgerow condition
- HRW2: Manage hedgerows
- HRW3: Maintain or establish hedgerow trees
These actions should help to:
- maintain and strengthen the contribution of hedges to landscape character
- provide shelter and nesting cover, as well as flower and berry food resources for insects, birds and mammals
- increase resilience to climate change and contribute to improving local air quality
- provide shelter from wind and the elements for livestock and crops, which can help improve productivity
- form part of an integrated pest management approach
HRW1: Assess and record hedgerow condition
How much you’ll be paid
You’ll receive £5 per 100 metres for one side of an eligible hedgerow per year.
This action’s aim
This action’s aim is that you:
- understand the condition of your hedgerows
- effectively plan how they can be managed to improve their condition
Where you can do this action
You can do this action on one side or both sides of an eligible hedgerow. Read the information about how we define an eligible hedgerow for SFI.
You can choose what total length of eligible hedgerows to enter into this action.
Other land management actions or options you can do with HRW1
The table below sets out which other SFI actions, Countryside Stewardship (CS) management options, Environmental Stewardship (ES) revenue options and SFI pilot standards you can do in land parcels with eligible boundaries entered into HRW1.
Actions or options that can be done with HRW1
| Scheme | Action or option codes that can be done with HRW1 |
|---|---|
| SFI 2023 | All SFI actions |
| CS | All CS management options, including BE3 (management of hedgerows) |
| ES | All ES revenue options |
| SFI pilot | All SFI pilot standards, including all levels of the SFI pilot hedgerows standard |
What to do
You must:
- assess the condition of all the hedgerows entered into this action
- produce a written hedgerow condition assessment record for these hedgerows
If you’ve already assessed these hedgerows and produced a written hedgerow condition assessment record in the last 5 years, you can use it to meet this action.
When to do it
You must:
- assess the condition of the hedgerows and complete a written hedgerow condition assessment record within the first 12 months of your SFI agreement
- review the condition of the hedgerows and update the hedgerow condition assessment record in each subsequent year of your SFI agreement
How to do it
It’s up to you how you complete this action, as long as you do it in a way that could reasonably be expected to achieve this action’s aim.
You may find it helpful to read the voluntary guidance on how to assess and record hedgerow condition, but you do not have to follow it.
You can record the hedgerow condition assessment on paper or digitally.
What evidence to keep
You must keep a written record of your hedgerow condition assessment. You must supply this evidence if we ask for it.
HRW2: Manage hedgerows
How much you’ll be paid
You’ll receive £13 per 100 metres for one side of an eligible hedgerow per year.
You can also apply for CS Capital Grants to help you manage the eligible hedgerows you do this action on, including hedgerow laying (BN5), hedgerow coppicing (BN7) and hedgerow gapping up (BN7).
This action’s aim
This action’s aim is that you manage hedgerows so there’s a range of different heights and widths to provide:
- habitat for wildlife
- pollen, nectar and berries for mammals, birds and insects
Where you can do this action
You can do this action on one side or both sides of an eligible hedgerow. Read the information about how we define an eligible hedgerow for SFI.
You’ll need to enter both sides of an eligible, fully-established hedgerow into this action if you’re managing it in a coppicing or laying rotation.
You can choose what total length of eligible hedgerows to enter into this action.
You cannot enter hedgerows into this action if they’re used for CS option BE3 (management of hedgerows), because this action pays for substantially the same actions as BE3.
Other land management actions or options you can do with HRW2
The table below sets out which other SFI actions, CS management options, ES revenue options and SFI pilot standards you can do in land parcels with eligible boundaries entered into HRW2.
Actions or options that can be done with HRW2
| Scheme | Action or option codes that can be done with HRW2 |
|---|---|
| SFI 2023 | All SFI actions |
| CS | All CS management options, apart from BE3 (management of hedgerows) |
| ES | All ES revenue options, apart from boundary options |
| SFI pilot | All SFI pilot standards, except the SFI pilot hedgerows standard |
What to do
What you must do to manage the hedgerows entered into this action depends on whether they’re:
- fully established, which will usually be the case around 5 years after they’re planted
- newly planted, or not fully established
You must manage fully established hedgerows. You can choose which of the following management approaches to use on different fully established hedgerows in your SFI agreement:
- cut each hedgerow incrementally
- on a rotation, cut each hedgerow no more than once every 3 years, cutting no more than one third of hedges each year
- on a rotation, cut each hedgerow no more than once every 2 years, cutting no more than half the hedges each year
- managing them in a coppicing or laying rotation, which may mean they’re left uncut for the duration of your 3-year SFI agreement
If the hedgerows are newly planted, or not fully established, you must lightly trim them incrementally.
When to do it
If you’re cutting fully established hedgerows incrementally, you must do this each year of your 3-year SFI agreement during the autumn and winter months.
If you’re cutting fully established hedgerows on a rotation, you must cut each hedgerow no more than either:
- once every 3 years during the autumn and winter months, cutting no more than one third of hedges each year
- once every 2 years in late winter, cutting no more than half of the hedges each year
These timings will usually mean:
- September, October and November for the autumn
- December, January and February for the winter
- January and February for late winter
Newly planted hedgerows, or hedgerows which are not fully established, must be lightly trimmed incrementally during the autumn and winter months. You must do this until they’re fully established.
How to do it
It’s up to you how you complete this action, as long as you do it in a way that can reasonably be expected to achieve this action’s aim.
You may find it helpful to read the voluntary guidance on how to manage hedgerows, but you do not have to follow it.
What evidence to keep
You should keep evidence to show what you’ve done to complete this action. This will help if it’s not clear that you’ve completed the action in a way that could reasonably be expected to achieve this action’s aim. You must supply this evidence if we ask for it.
This evidence could include photographs and other documentation to show what you’ve done to complete this action. If you choose to take photographs, read the guidance on how to take photographic evidence for SFI actions.
HRW3: Maintain or establish hedgerow trees
How much you’ll be paid
You’ll receive £10 per 100 metres for both sides of an eligible hedgerow per year.
This action’s aim
This action’s aim is that you maintain or establish hedgerow trees to help provide:
- habitat for wildlife
- carbon storage benefits
Where you can do this action
You can only do this action on both sides of an eligible hedgerow. You cannot enter one side of a hedgerow into this action.
This means you must have management control of both sides of the hedgerow and adjacent land. The only exception to this is if it’s a roadside hedgerow – you can enter that hedgerow into this action if you can meet the requirements explained below. Read the information about how we define an eligible hedgerow for SFI.
You can choose what total length of eligible hedgerows to enter into this action,
Other land management actions or options you can do with HRW3
The table below sets out which other SFI actions, CS management options, ES revenue options and SFI pilot standards you can do in land parcels with eligible boundaries entered into HRW3.
Actions or options that can be done with HRW3
| Scheme | Action or option codes that can be done with HRW3 |
|---|---|
| SFI 2023 | All SFI 2023 actions |
| CS | All CS management options, including BE3 (management of hedgerows) |
| ES | All ES revenue options, apart from boundary options |
| SFI pilot | All SFI pilot standards, except the SFI pilot hedgerows standard |
What to do
You must make sure there’s an average of at least one hedgerow tree per 100 metres over the total length of hedgerows entered into this action. This means some 100 metre lengths can contain no trees, as long as you meet this average.
You can do this action by:
- maintaining existing trees growing within the hedgerow
- establishing new hedgerow trees
To establish a new hedgerow tree, you must either:
- select an existing sapling in the hedgerow with a single straight stem
- plant a new sapling – you can apply for CS Capital Grants to plant a hedgerow tree (TE1) and protect it with a tree guard (TE6)
You must identify each newly established hedgerow tree by tagging it or using another method to identify it clearly, so it can be avoided when managing the hedgerow.
You can include dead and dying trees when counting how many hedgerow trees are in a given length of hedgerow. This decaying wood can provide a habitat for invertebrates, nesting birds and bats. This does not include newly planted tree saplings that die before they become established.
You must not do the following to the hedgerow trees that are being maintained or established to complete this action:
- damage them
- cut them, unless there’s a clear need – for example, to prolong the life of the tree, for health and safety reasons (such as removing branches that pose a risk to people), or because it’s a tradition in the local landscape (such as coppicing or pollarding willow)
When to do it
By the end of your SFI agreement, you must have done this action so it meets the requirements explained above.
How to do it
It’s up to you how you complete this action, as long as you do it in a way that can reasonably be expected to achieve this action’s aim.
You may find it helpful to read the voluntary guidance on how to maintain or establish hedgerow trees, but you do not have to follow it.
What evidence to keep
You should keep evidence to show what you’ve done to complete this action. This will help if it’s not clear that you’ve completed the action in a way that could reasonably be expected to achieve this action’s aim. You must supply this evidence if we ask for it.
This evidence could include photographs and other documentation to show what you’ve done to complete this action. If you choose to take photographs, read the guidance on how to take photographic evidence for SFI actions.
Last updated 27 February 2024 + show all updates
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Update to how much you will be paid HRW1 and HRW2
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Changes made to how to maintain and establish hedgerow trees. Links added to voluntary guidance.
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First published.