Distant mandarins of DEFRA

The distant mandarins of DEFRA are building a reputation for incompetence.

The flagship Countryside Stewardship Scheme (CSS) opened for applications on July 1, but it came as no surprise to farmers who have endured the introduction of the new Basic Payment Scheme that DEFRA failed to publish the full terms and conditions of the scheme, leaving potential applicants in limbo.

The CSS replaces the existing Entry Level and Higher Level Environmental Stewardship schemes which have closed to new entrants. However, there is now less money available so the new scheme will be competitive, unlike its predecessors.

Statements of Priorities have been drawn up that cover all of England and applicants to the scheme need to choose options and capital items that meet the environmental priorities for their geographical area. As the scheme is competitive, applications are scored and agreements offered on the basis of meeting the environmental priorities applicable to the area where the applicant’s land is located.

The CSS comprises three core elements:

• Mid Tier – this will be open to any farmer to make an application and if successful they will be offered a five-year agreement

• Higher Tier – this is predominantly an invitation led application process for “environmentally significant sites” where more complex management is required. Again these agreements are likely to be for five years

• Capital Grants – these are one to two year grants which focussed on work being carried out on field boundaries, projects leading to water quality improvement, small scale woodland creation, etc.

Natural England had already identified a number of potential applicants for the Higher Tier scheme and they were invited to complete an “expression of interest” form online by June 30, but that date slipped with the deadline put back to July 15.

With this sort of incompetence surrounding the new flagship environmental scheme I wonder whether the September 30 deadline for submission of applications will also have to be postponed if the terms and conditions of the scheme are not published very soon.

This lack of clarity has prompted the NFU to warn farmers and other potential applicants against formally committing to the CSS before they know just what they are signing up to.

So yet again we are witnessing the chaotic introduction of a new EU-funded scheme where high level decisions have been made which seem almost impossible to implement on the ground within the timescales set by Whitehall mandarins.  

James Stephen MRICS FAAV
Partner
Rural Practice Chartered Surveyor, Wells
T: 01749 683381
E: james.stephen@carterjonas.co.uk