Stewardship schemes

[GreenerGrass]

I really fancy some of the capital grants for fencing and water troughs. But I understand the scheme is competitive and points based. From what I can see it is based on totals that are greatly influenced by farm area. And there is reference to claims over £500k!!

As a small farm, how does the points work or are by default handicapped from the start. I spoke to the RPA but the lady although nice wasn't that helpful. I hardly have a single fence on the farm but plenty of hedges. Is there a maximum to BE3 and is it permissible to then go for sheep netting on all these boundaries as a capital grant under mid tier.

I don't know how many points that would get me, what is a reasonable score if I tally them up. The lady on the phone didn't have that info and couldn't say what the cutoff was last year either.

 

[redsloe]

Not sure about it all the, but I know it's likely to be more competitive this round than last. Don't think your fencing will earn points but you can still apply for it. The wild pollinator and wildlife package will earn you more points and that's relatively easy to get on a small livestock farm.
Download and read the mid tier and wildlife offer document. There's lots in there.

 

[farmerm]

Not sure my contractor would want to touch my hedged with 3 years growth and not sure I would have wanted him on waterlogged ground to cut a 2 year growth hedge between 1 Jan and 28th Feb this year!

BE3 £8/ 100m doesn't seem very exciting, especially if you have the cost of gapping up with out being eligible for the BN7 gapping up grant!

I might be missing it but I cant see where you can claim a grant for fencing boundaries unless possibly where the boundaries are watercourses or if you are laying the hedge before fencing it?

 

[GreenerGrass]

BE3 isn't exciting but if you have hedges on it then surely they would be covered for the capital grant for sheep fencing to protect them? One side of the farm is bounded by a stream, so maybe it would be covered under different option.

Will look up their packages but their recommendations for a 50ha pasture farm was a payment of about £330 a year! That's never worth the time, bother and stress.

Neighbour said he got a load of his fencing paid for, did sound too good to be true, but on this forum I saw an old topic where a guy says he got 10.4km of stock fencing paid for! (https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/fencing-south-shropshire.143510/)

 

[Timbersupplier]

Is it true you can only get the grant on cundy stakes and machined rounds don’t qualify? Any help or clarity appreciated

 

[farmerm]

Is it true you can only get the grant on cundy stakes and machined rounds don’t qualify? Any help or clarity appreciated

Requirements

• remove all old fencing material before putting up the new fencing
• use softwood timber that is fully peeled, coated with wood preservative and pressure treated, or treated with an approved preservative - untreated durable timber can be used as set out in the Forestry Commission guide to forest fencing
• put up a steel wire mesh fence at least 1.05m high
• use additional strands of galvanised steel wire (plain or barbed) if you need extra height
• use straining posts that have a top diameter of at least 125mm, or are 100 by 100mm in cross-section when sawn
• make sure the straining posts are 1.85m long if set in concrete and 2.15m long otherwise
• place the straining posts no more than 150m apart if using mild steel line wire, or 300m apart for high tensile wire
• use a straining post at every change of direction (horizontal or vertical) and at each end of the fence
• use struts that have a top diameter of at least 80mm, or are 75mm by 75mm when sawn
• make sure the struts are 1.6m if set in concrete and 1.9m long otherwise
• notch struts into the straining post at an angle of no more than 45 degrees
• use intermediate posts that have a top diameter of at least 65mm, or are 75mm by 75mm when sawn
• make sure the intermediate posts are 1.7m long and space them no further than 3.5m apart
• make sure that all the materials you use meet the relevant British Standards - examine copies of the most up-to-date standards for guidance

 

[farmerm]

Is it true you can only get the grant on cundy stakes and machined rounds don’t qualify? Any help or clarity appreciated

Requirements

• remove all old fencing material before putting up the new fencing
• use softwood timber that is fully peeled, coated with wood preservative and pressure treated, or treated with an approved preservative - untreated durable timber can be used as set out in the Forestry Commission guide to forest fencing
• put up a steel wire mesh fence at least 1.05m high
• use additional strands of galvanised steel wire (plain or barbed) if you need extra height
• use straining posts that have a top diameter of at least 125mm, or are 100 by 100mm in cross-section when sawn
• make sure the straining posts are 1.85m long if set in concrete and 2.15m long otherwise
• place the straining posts no more than 150m apart if using mild steel line wire, or 300m apart for high tensile wire
• use a straining post at every change of direction (horizontal or vertical) and at each end of the fence
• use struts that have a top diameter of at least 80mm, or are 75mm by 75mm when sawn
• make sure the struts are 1.6m if set in concrete and 1.9m long otherwise
• notch struts into the straining post at an angle of no more than 45 degrees
• use intermediate posts that have a top diameter of at least 65mm, or are 75mm by 75mm when sawn
• make sure the intermediate posts are 1.7m long and space them no further than 3.5m apart
• make sure that all the materials you use meet the relevant British Standards - examine copies of the most up-to-date standards for guidance