Guidance and regulation

What farmers, foresters and land managers need to know and do before applying for a Countryside Stewardship grant, and how to manage a grant agreement.

• From: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and 3 others
• Updated: 4 January 2024

Apply for capital items to benefit boundaries, trees and orchards, water and air priorities, and natural flood management.

• From: Rural Payments Agency
• Updated: 7 December 2023

• Applicant's guide: Capital Grants 2023

  1. Important dates and scheme changes Countryside Stewardship (CS) Capital…

• Agreement holder's guide: Capital Grants 2023

  If you’re applying for a CS Capital Grants agreement, follow sections 1 to…

• How to complete your online Capital Grant application

  This guidance explains how to complete your Countryside Stewardship (CS)…

• How to complete your Capital Grant application by email or post

  You must read the Capital Grants applicant’s guide before completing your…

Read the guidance to help you make your claim for payment using the Rural Payments service or a claim form.

• From: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and 3 others
• Updated: 14 March 2024

Changes to Countryside Stewardship revenue payment rates from January 2024.

• From: Rural Payments Agency
• Updated: 9 January 2024

Agreements for management grants and capital items to protect and enhance the natural environment.

• From: Rural Payments Agency
• Updated: 6 December 2023

Find out what's involved in creating a plan, giving you a structured way to organise the management of woodland.

• From: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and 2 others
• Updated: 25 April 2024

Higher Tier agreements for multi-year management options and one-off capital items to protect, restore or enhance the environment.

• From: Rural Payments Agency
• Updated: 6 December 2023

Cross compliance ended on 31 December 2023. If you are a farmer or land manager, find out what this means for you.

• From: Rural Payments Agency
• Updated: 5 January 2024

Apply for a capital grant for a one-off payment to create a 10-year woodland management plan.

• From: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and 3 others
• Updated: 6 December 2023

Apply for a grant to restock or improve woodland after tree health problems.

• From: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and 3 others
• Updated: 6 December 2023

Changes to Countryside Stewardship revenue payment rates from January 2023.

• From: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and 1 others
• Updated: 30 May 2023

Countryside Stewardship agreement holders must follow these terms and conditions if they applied for an agreement after 5 January 2023.

• From: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and 1 others
• Updated: 7 December 2023

Key dates timeline for the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS), Countryside Stewardship (CS), Environmental Stewardship (ES) and the Lump Sum Exit Scheme.

• From: Rural Payments Agency
• Updated: 17 August 2023

Changes to Countryside Stewardship capital payment rates from January 2023.

• From: Rural Payments Agency
• Updated: 18 January 2023

Facilitators bring together groups of farmers, foresters and other land managers to improve local environmental outcomes.

• From: Rural Payments Agency
• Updated: 23 October 2023

How to check and update your land maps before applying for Countryside Stewardship.

• From: Rural Payments Agency
• Updated: 13 May 2021

How to complete a capital claim if you're a Countryside Stewardship (CS) agreement holder and unable to submit a claim online.

• From: Rural Payments Agency
• Updated: 3 January 2024

Details of the new payment rates for Countryside Stewardship (CS) revenue options that will apply to CS agreements from 1 January 2022

• From: Rural Payments Agency
• Updated: 9 February 2022

Scheme rules for holders of agreements that started on 1 January 2021

• From: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and 3 others
• Updated: 5 March 2021

Information for agreement holders about transferring all or part of a Countryside Stewardship agreement to another person.

• From: Rural Payments Agency
• Updated: 3 November 2020