Guidance

Water grants 2015: gateway relocation (RP2)

Eligibility and requirements for gateway relocation.

From:
Natural England
Published
2 March 2015

This guidance was withdrawn on

Capital items for improving water quality are now available through the Mid Tier of Countryside Stewardship.

Applies to England

Farmers and other land managers can apply for water grants.

Read the accompanying guidance to find out more about Countryside Stewardship water grants 2015.

How much will be paid

£340 per gateway.

Where the item is available

This item is available in Catchment Sensitive Farming target areas. It can be used where a gateway is acting as a conduit for water pollution caused by farming.

When this item can’t be used

It can’t be used to:

  • replace existing gateways in the same location; or to
  • move gateways not associated with farm machinery and the movement of livestock.

How this item will benefit the environment

This item will prevent polluted surface water from leaving fields through gateways and flowing on to roads, tracks, other fields, ditches, streams, wetlands, ponds and rivers.

Requirements

Applicants need to send the following with their application:

  • advice from a historic environment specialist if the gateway is on a historic routeway;
  • planning permission if the new gateway provides access to public highways, or byways open to all traffic;
  • proof of consultation from the Highways Authority if a public right of way passes through the existing or new gateway;
  • any other planning permissions or regulatory consents; and
  • dated photographs of the existing site with their application for this item.

With permission from Natural England, advice and consent can be received up until 29 May 2015; applicants can discuss this with their local Catchment Sensitive Farming officer.

On the land

Successful applicants will need to:

  • leave the existing gate posts where they are;
  • keep any existing stone or slate posts that are traditional landscape or historic features;
  • re-route the existing trackways associated with the gateway and improve the disused sections;
  • gap up the old gateway using materials that match the character of the rest of the boundary; and
  • use new hanging and shutting posts in the new gateway.

Keeping records

Successful applicants will need to keep:

  • dated photographs of the site after the work has taken place (send these with any claim and show them on inspection); and
  • receipted invoices and bank statements relating to this work.

How to carry out this item

The following section gives advice on carrying out this item successfully.

How to reduce surface water flows

Other work may need to be carried out to reduce surface water flows, including:

  • relieving compaction and cultivations across slopes;
  • using temporary water storage areas to capture surface flows;
  • positioning new trackways where they don’t attract surface water flows; or
  • positioning cross-drains along the track if a new trackway can’t be created.

Gateways can also be used that aren’t linked to tracks (eg at the bottom of sloping grass fields), to encourage surface water to leave fields.

How to maintain the local character

The old gateway should be restored so that it blends in with the rest of the boundary. For example, new hedging should match the species mix of the existing hedge.

The following items and supplements can be used with this item:

Published 2 March 2015
Contents