The Basic Payment Scheme will roll over until 2024. A ‘Sustainable Farming Scheme’ will commence in 2025.
To be eligible for BPS funding, a farmer must engage in cross compliance with environmental or animal welfare regulations (for example, any hedges must not be cut between 1st March – 31st August, to protect nesting birds).
A greening component of grant support is included as part of the BPS payment. Farmers with more than 15 ha have to participate in ‘Greening’ in order to receive the BPS funding, and to do this they must have Ecological Focus Areas (EFAs), unless they have permanent grassland or they farm organically.
Eligibility for Grant Funding – Basic Payment Scheme
Land parcels with more than 100 trees per hectare are ineligible.
Groups of trees of more than 100 m2 area are ineligible.
Scattered trees at a density of less than 100 per hectare are eligible, but the area of the trunk and exposed roots cannot be claimed.
Hedges (up to a maximum width of 10 m), trees in strips or trees in a line on or adjacent to arable land are classified as an EFA.
Short rotation coppice is classified as an EFA.
Areas planted with a Woodland Creation Grant may be eligible for BPS payment provided it was used to claim in the Single Payment Scheme in 2008 and the landowner's commitment to afforest the land within the contract is still active.
Eligibility for Grant Funding – Woodland Creation Grant
WCG allows for shelterbelts or small groups of trees down to 0.1 ha area, at a density of not more than 80 scattered trees per hectare on permanent pasture.
For the agroforestry grant, the land has to continue to be grazed at normal stocking levels (although a crop of hay or silage can be taken off), and the trees have to be individually protected. A capital grant for planting and an annual payment for five years after the year of planting are given. The land under the agroforestry measure is still subject to cross-compliance regulations. The field parcels with scattered trees under agroforestry continue to be eligible for BPS minus a deduction for the area of trees which are fenced off, as long as there are fewer than 100 scattered trees per hectare (including existing trees before planting). A deduction for trunks and stumps will be made if the area of trunks exceeds 50 m2.
Woodland Creation Planning Scheme
Funding is available to help landowners plan an application for a Woodland Creation Grant.
Last updated November 2023
