Blanket Derogation Announcement for Environmental Schemes

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The Rural Payments Agency has announced temporary adjustments to Stewardship prescriptions in light of on-going drought conditions.

As of 17^th August 2022, Countryside Stewardship Agreement holders have been issued a blanket derogation on specific options that will enable them to graze and cut areas previously restricted under the Environmental Schemes. The temporary lapse, is in response to lobbying from the NFU and other farm focused organisations as the on-going drought throughout the UK creates grazing and forage shortages.

Eligibility The blanket derogations have been applied to options in Mid- Tier and Higher- Tier Countryside Stewardship, Higher Level Stewardship and Entry Level Stewardship.

The options below are subject to the derogation. Agreement holders do not need to contact the RPA if they carry out any of the permitted temporary adjustments but are required to complete a Temporary Requirement Adjustments Form and keep it on record.

Those with options and actions that fall outside of the tables beneath should still seek permission from the RPA before deviating from the management prescriptions as written within your Agreement Document. Please contact your consultant for help in seeking temporary amendments beyond those detailed below.

Affected Countryside Stewardship Options

Option Code	Option Title	Temporary Permitted Adjustment
GS1	Take Small areas of out of management	Cut or graze from 17^th August
GS2	Permanent Grassland with very low inputs (Outside SDA)	Supplementary feeding including hay, silage and energy blocks in permitted from 17^th August where necessary to prevent animal welfare issues. Steps must be taken to ensure the sward is not damaged where possible, for example move ring feeders regularly.
GS10	Management of wet grassland for wintering waders and wildfowl	Supplementary feeding including hay, silage and energy blocks in permitted from 17^th August where necessary to prevent animal welfare issues. Steps must be taken to ensure the sward is not damaged where possible, for example move ring feeders regularly.
OP4	Multi Species Ley	Cut or graze up to 100% of area from 17^th August
AB1	Nectar Flower Mix	Cut or graze from 17^th August
AB8	Flower Rich Margins and Plots	Cut or graze from 17^th August
AB13	Brassica Fodder Crop	Cut or graze from 17^th August
AB15	Two Year Sewn Legume Fallow	Cut or graze up to 100% of the area from 7^th August
BE1	Protection of in-field Trees on arable land	Cut or graze from 17^th August
BE2	Protection of in-field trees on intensive grassland	Cut or graze from 17^th August
SW1	4-6 M Buffer strip on cultivated land	Cut up to 100% of buffer strip from 17^th August (no grazing)
SW2	4-6 M Buffer strip on intensive grassland	Cut or graze up to 100% of buffer strip from 17^th August
SW3	In- field grass strips	Graze from 17^th August
SW4	12 – 24 m watercourse buffer strip on cultivated land	Cut up to 100% of buffer strip from 17^th August (no grazing)
SW7	Arable reversion to grassland with low input fertiliser input	Graze until 31^st October
SW8	Management of intensive grassland adjacent to a watercourse	Graze until 31^st October

Option Code	Option Title	Temporary Permitted Adjustment
EC24	Hedgerow tree buffer strips on cultivated land	Cut or graze from 17^th August
EC25	Hedgerow tree buffer strips on grassland	Cut or graze from 17^th August
EE1	2m Buffer strips on cultivated land	Cut or graze from 17^th August
EE2	4m buffer strips on cultivated lane	Cut or graze from 17^th August
EE3	6m Buffer strips on cultivated land	Cut up to 100% of buffer strips from 17^th August
EE4	2m Buffer strips on intensive grassland	Cut up to full strip width from 17^th August
EE5	5 M buffer strips on intensive grassland	Cut up to full strip width from 17^th August
EE6	6 M buffer strips on intensive grassland	Cut up to full strip width from 17^th August
EE9	6m Buffer strips on cultivated land next to a watercourse	Cut up to full strip width from 17^th August
EE10	6m Buffer strips on intensive grassland next to a watercourse	Cut up to full strip width from 17^th August
EF1	Management of field corners	Cut or graze from 17^th August
EF4	Nectar Flower Mix	Cut or graze from 17^th August
EF6	Overwintered Stubble	Sow forage crops on up to 5ha in 10 ha (50%) and graze until 14^th February 2023
EF15	Reduced herbicide cereal crops followed by overwintered stubble	Sow forage crops on up to 5 ha in 10 ha (50%) and graze until February 2023
EF22	Extended overwintered stubble	Sow forage crops on up to 5 ha in 10 ha (50%) and graze until 14^th February 2023
EJ9	12 M buffer strips for watercourses on cultivated land	Cut up to full width from 17^th August (No grazing).
EK1	Take field corners out of management	Cut or graze from 17^th August
EK3	Permanent Grassland with very low inputs	Supplementary feeding including hay, silage and energy blocks in permitted from 17^th August where necessary to prevent animal welfare issues. Steps must be taken to ensure the sward is not damaged where possible, for example move ring feeders regularly.
EL1	Take field corners out of management in SDAs	Cut or graze from 17^th August
EL3	Permanent Grassland with very low inputs in SDAs	Supplementary feeding including hay, silage and energy blocks in permitted from 17^th August where necessary to prevent animal welfare issues. Steps must be taken to ensure the sward is not damaged where possible, for example move ring feeders regularly.

Blanket Derogation Announcement for Environmental Schemes

The Rural Payments Agency has announced temporary adjustments to Stewardship prescriptions in light of on-going drought conditions.

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