Entry Level Stewardship
 

Changes to Entry Level Stewardship December 2007

Provisional Entry Level and Organic Entry Level Stewardship agreements that have been entered into since the 1st February 2007 are now subject to changes following EU discussions.

Management Plan options are to be done away with and this will effect all agreements entered into since 1st February 2007.

Farms in Nitrate Vulnerable Zones that have entered ELS and OELS this year are now subject to further prescriptions relating to manure applications and record keeping.

Please do not hesitate to contact either Anthony or Kevin who will be able to explain the changes and how they affect you.
 
ELS is described as a “broad and shallow” approach. It contains simple measures which many people already implement, such as low input pastures and sensitive hedge management. It is designed to “address landscape scale environmental problems” such as diffuse pollution, loss of widespread species, loss of landscape character and damage to archaeology

ELS Basics
 

The scheme is non-competitive and open to everyone. Agreement holders are paid £30/ha across all registered land. The agreements last for 5 years and applications can be submitted at any time. Applicants have a free choice of options, and are able to start with the simplest. In order to enter the scheme applicants must complete a Farm Environment Record and have all the land they wish to enter registered on the Rural Land Registry. There are no capital payments available under this scheme.
 		  

Entry Level Stewardship

Entry Level Stewardship
 
 
Natural England administers the scheme on a “hands-off” basis; there is no individual advice from Project Officers, but they do offer seminars and information via “guidance notes” on key features. In due course Natural England plans to launch an e-application system and CLM will be involved in trialling this in the South East.

If you would like help registering your land and/or in applying for Entry Level Stewardship please contact Anthony Weston or Kevin Jay.

Organic Entry Level Stewardship
 

This is similar to ELS but prescriptions are adjusted and the payment is £60/ha for unimproved and converted land

Conversion payments of £175/ha are available on improved land and £600/ha on top fruit.

ELS Online

Yet to be released on a nationwide basis, CLM are currently trialling Natural England's ELS Online software.  The package allows the whole application to be completed on a computer with option areas, lengths and points automatically calculated.  The basics of the system are good but as with all newly developed programmes there are a number of minor irritations and problems.  The main issue is that ELS Online has an upper size threshold meaning that large farms and estates still need to complete a paper application.

We have submitted 4 ELS applications using the Online package and although the system has its irritations it does make comparing different option combinations quick and easy.

Complete Farm Image

In conjunction with Farm Image we have developed Complete Farm Image Environmental Mapping. This map package is a cheap, easy platform to put all of your ELS, HLS, CSS or indeed any other data you require in one place.

This makes the management of each scheme easier. It ensures correct management helping to safeguard your payments - make sure the right hedges are cut each year, the right amount of wild bird cover is drilled etc... and be able to call up every management prescription relevant to each option to check what you can and cannot do at any point in the year.

For an example of the package in action please visit http://www.farmimage.co.uk/environmental-mapping.php.