Management of the Natural Environment & Landscape Flashcards
What Designations are you aware of?
Sites of Special Scientific Interest
Nitrate Vulnerable Zones
National Park
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
Special Area of Conservation
Special Protection Area
What is the significance of these & who is responsible for managing these?
SSSI - Nationally Important area that is of particular scientific interest due to the flora, fauna or its geological/physiological features - Natural England & landowners
Nitrate Vulnerable Zones - Cover approx 55% of land in England. Areas designated to as being at risk from agricultural nitrate pollution. Farmer must follow specific rules with regard to use of nitrogen fertiliser and organic manure - DEFRA designates every 4 years, EA and land owners
National Parks - protect natural beauty, wildlife & cultural heritage while promoting sustainable development, recreation & environmental awareness contributing to both environmental & social well being - National Park Authorities & land owners
AONB - Protects the land to conserve & enhance its natural beauty. Protected by the CROW Act 2000 - primarily with local authorities & landowners . NE designate
SAC - Designated under EU Habitats Directive protects certain natural habitats & flora & fauna considered to be under serious threat - Statutory Nature Conservation Bodies & landowners
Special Protection Area - to safeguard rare, vulnerable, and regularly occurring migratory bird species - relevant country nature conservation bodies (NE) & landowners
How can practices be agreed on or near such sites?
SSSI - get consent from NE to carryout listed operations within the boundary.
NVZ - compliance with rules regarding the use of inorganic nitrogen fertiliser and storage of organic manure - keep record of field operations
National Parks -
What are the implication on planning?
Designations which are given special protection under legislation can significantly impact planning applications by imposing additional constraints & restrictions to ensure the integrity of the designated site is maintained
What do the following do?
Defra
RPA
Natural England
Forestry England
Defra - uk government department responsible for developing & implementing policies related to the environment, food, agriculture and rural communities.
RPA - An executive agency of Defra who manage agri-environment schemes & make payments to farmers, trader & land owners, also make payments on behalf of Natural England
Natural England - The governments adviser for the natural environment in England, they help conserve, enhance & manage the natural environment for the benefit of present & future generations contributing to sustainable development.
Forestry England - Executive agency sponsored by the Forestry Commission. They manage more tress than any other organisation in England, providing hundreds of car parks, maintaining trails and planting trees.
What is ELM?
Environmental Land Management Schemes which are a post-Bexit initiative replacing the EU’s CAP paying farmers for environmental benefits, not just land ownership through schemes such as SFI, CS Mid Tier & Landscape Recovery. Supporting the rural economy while achieving the goals of the 25 year environmental paln and commitment to Net Zero
What are the Current and Recent Schemes which relate to ELM?
Sustainable Farming Incentive - currently closed for new applications, however a reformed SFI scheme will be confirmed in the spending review with details to be released in the Summer of 2025
Landscape Recovery - This scheme is now closed
Countryside Stewardship Mid-Tier - Now closed with equivalent grants available under SFI expanded offer.
Countryside Stewardship HT - Opens Summer 2025
Captial Grants - Now closed improved scheme to reopen later this year
Why are ELMs Schemes important?
Incentivise farmers/land managers to deliver environmental & climate benefits alongside food production.
Addresses issues like biodiversity loss, water quality and climate change while support the rural economy, alining with 25 year environment plan & commitment to Net Zero.
Helped mitigate the financial loss to farmers from the loss of BPS payments with delinked payments now capped at £7,200 & will be phased out by 2027.
What is CSF?
Catchment Sensitive Farming works with farmers & partners across England through a programme of supportive measures such as farm advice, training & capital grants targeted at priority catchments to help reduce soil erosion & nutrients and pesticide losses to water. A local CSF advisor will work with farmers to tailor advice that best suits their business
How does CSF relate to schemes ?
CSF promotes participation in ELM’s schemes by providing on-farm advice & support to make informed decisions about their practices
CSF support is required in order to apply for certain Capital Grant Items such as:
RP28 - Roofing (Spraying wash down area, dung stores, livestock gathering areas, slurry stores, silage pits)
RP15 - Concrete Yard Renewal
RP4 - Livestock & Machinery hardcore tracks
RP5 - Cross Drains
RP16 - Rainwater Goods
How does CSF relate to designations?
CSF plays a crucial role in protecting designated areas such as SSSI’s or NVZ’s - promoting sustainable agricultural practices to reduce water pollution and improve water quality which ultimately support the conservation of these sensitive eco systems
Working with bodies responsible for the management of these areas like EA NE & landowners to monitor and improve water quality & reduce agricultural pollution
How are species such as bats managed?
Protected by law under the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981 (as amended) & European Habitats Directive
Managed by habitat conservation & research efforts & habitat creation
NE are responsible for issuing licenses for activities that may affect bats
How can bats affect planning & site management?
Can significantly impact planning & site management due to protected status & reliance on specific habitats - likely to require surveys, mitigation measures, delaying, altering or refusal of development plans all of which come at a cost
What is a TPO?
Tree Preservation Order - made by an LPA to protect specific trees, groups of trees or woodland in the interests of amenity.
Prohibits -
Felling
topping
lopping
uprooting
wilful damage
wilful destruction
without the LPA’s express written consent.
How can TPO’s be managed?
Landowners must obtain written consent from LPA before carrying out ANY work on protected trees.
Unauthorised work on protected trees can lead to significant fines & legal consequences
What is the relevance/importance of a tree survey?
To accompany a planning application - if trees are on or in close proximity to the site
Health & Safety Assessments - identifying potential hazards
Compliance with TPO’s & Conservation Areas
Effective Estate Management - overseeing large land areas with diverse woodland areas.
How would you undertake a tree survey?
Employ the services of a qualified aborist who will follow standards such as BS5837
What is the Agriculture Act 2020?
The Act was passed into Law on 11th November 2020
Established a new framework for uk agriculture post brexit. Shifting away from direct payments to rewarding farmers for producing public goods like environmental improvements &food security including measures for transparency & fairness in the agri-food supply chain
Considered to be the biggest shift in farm & rural policy since UK joined the CAP in 1973 - removal of areas based payments, setting up of ELM’s
What is Common Agricultural Policy?
Common Policy for all EU Countries managed and funded at European Level.
Launched in 1962
Partnership between agriculture & society & Europe & its farmers
Aims to:
Support farmers
Improve agricultural productivity
Ensure stable supply of food
Help tackle climate change
Sustainable management of natural resources
You mention assisting with Planning Applications in relation to natural environment. Can you give a specific example. What did you do & how?
Penn Farm
Dairy Enterprise milking 160 cows with year round calving.
Farming approx 300 acres
Animals are housed 5-6 months of year.
Received Grant funding for roofing over of collecting yard & feeding loafing area adjoining an existing shed.
Full Planning Application
Application was on existing concrete yards - exempt from BNG - Mitiagtion measures were proposed to compensate impacts of development - Native tree planting, 2 wildlife boxes & rainwater harvesting.
Flood Risk - In flood zone 1 no increase in impermeable area merely covering over concrete yard to reduce dirty water - Clean rain water harvested & used to water livestock
Nutrient Neutrality - proposal improves management of dirty water on the holding reducing environmental impact by nutrients being contained
What Capital Schemes have you been involved with?
I have been involved in many of the Capital Items, with the most common including:
FG2 - Sheep Netting £7.47/m
FG12 - Wooden Field Gates £489.20/gate
LV7 - Livestock Troughs £152.90/through
LV8 - Pipework for troughs £3.31/m
RP28 - Roofing £72.50/m2
RP15 Concrete Yard Renewal £33.64m2
A specific example would be higher Blackawton Farm
Capital Grant totalled - £129,960.50
With £113.027.50 for Roofing
£10,933 for concreting and the remaining £6000 covered fencing and troughs.
SFI Client what advice did you give?
I advised that:
3 year agreement
Rolling application window
Did not need to take a whole farm approach could put as much or little in as he was comfortable with a view to completing another application should he wish to do so.
More flexible that Mid Tier
He wanted a simple agreement that that would yield a decent income so I advised on:
CSAM3 Herbal Leys
- £382/ha
CLIG3 Manage Grassland with very low nutrient input -£151/ha
CHRW1 - Asses & Record Hedgerow Condition - £5/100m one side
CHRW2 - Manage Hedgerows - £13/100m one side
CHRW3 - Maintain or Establish Hedgerow Trees £10/100m
CAHL2 - Winter Bird food on arable and horticultural land - £853/ha
CSAM1 - Asses soil, produce a soil management plan & test soil organic matter - £6/ha plus £97/per SFI agreement/year
CNUNM1 - Assess Nutrient Management & Produce a Review Report £625/assessment review each year
CIPM - Assess integrated pest management & produce a plan £1,129
How did you determine which management options may be appropriate financially & practically?
This was a new client
I had no knowledge of his farming enterprise.
Established that he had farmed beef & sheep and winter wheat & barley.
He wanted a simple scheme without having to alter his current farming practice.
We walked the farm and established areas which the farmer felt were too steep to establish CSAM3 so I suggested using CLIG3
The farmer had undertaken CSAM1 - on his arable ground 12 months ago testing for organic matter so I advised these soil samples could be used.
The farmer was keen on the hedgerow options.
I advised speaking to his agronomist to advise on the cost of producing CNUM1 & CIPM1 and reviewing where necessary and the cost of Herbal Ley seed.
He thought is may have some existing Herbal Leys, I advised asking the agronomist to confim
He thought some of his fields may already have herbal ley.
He did not want any options on the arable ground as he wanted to kept production to a maximum.
How do multiple agreements differ to prior schemes?
It is possible to have multiple agreements on the same land parcels, provided that the options are compatible and you are not getting paid for the same actions twice.
Previous schemes agreements were typically single and fixed for the duality of the agreement.
