Countryside Stewardship: termshow andthe conditions,end andof rulescross forcompliance agreementaffects holders,your from 1 January 2024agreement

If you are a farmer or land manager and claimed rural payments between 2005 and 2023, you had to follow a set of rules called cross compliance. These rules endended at midnight on 31 December 2023. 

Regulations will continue to protect the environment, and animal health and welfare. Compliance will be monitored by the existing statutory bodies and regulated in a fair, proportionate, and consistent way. This means, wherever possible, we will work with you to get it right and give you opportunities to self-correct before we need to take any formal action.

2024 Agreement holders

The applicant and agreement holder’s guides published in 2023 for agreements starting 1 January 2024 will have included references to cross compliance. We have updated the terms and conditions of your agreement to reflect the end of cross compliance. These updated terms and conditions will apply to your agreement when it starts on 1 January 2024.  The Applicant and Agreement holder’s guides will also be updated to reflect this change.

2016 to 2023 Agreement holders

We have updated the terms and conditions of your agreements to reflect the end of cross compliance. Mid Tier and Higher Tier agreement holder’s guides will not be updated, however all references to cross compliance in these guides are no longer relevant. We have amended the guides to remove cross compliance for capital only agreements, starting in 2023.

You must continue to comply with domestic legislation. You can find more information about this in the following:

Rules for all Agreement holders

The removal of cross compliance will only have limited impact on the way you manage your agreement. You must continue to comply with legal requirements around certain farming activities to protect people, livestock and the environment. These rules are set out in the Rules for farmers and land managers.

Hedgerows     

ThereHedgerow aremanagement arules smallapply numberin ofEngland crossto complianceprotect rulesand thatmanage dohedgerows noton haveagricultural land. These take account of the sameManagement requirementsof inHedgerows English(England) law.Regulations These2024 crosswhich compliancecame rulesinto are:force  on 23 May 2024.

• certainThe rules onapply to hedgerows growing on, or next to, land used for agriculture and othermay fieldimpact boundarieshow you carry out certain agricultural activities, including those in your CS agreement.

  The hedgerow management rules include:

  • a 2-metre ‘buffer strip’, measured from the centre of a hedgerow, where a green cover must be established and maintained

  • watercourseno cultivation or application of pesticides or fertilisers within the 2-metre buffer strips

    strip

  • soils

    a hedgerow cutting and trimming ban from 1 March to 31 August (inclusive)

  You willmust needcomply towith considerthe ifhedgerow theymanagement affectrules on cutting and trimming, and buffer strips when delivering any of your CS options inor capital items. Where an option requires cultivation or the application of pesticides or fertiliser, this will usually mean the option must be established at least 2 metres from the centre of the hedgerow.

  It may affect your agreement.agreement if you do not comply with this scheme requirement.

  Hedgerows     

  SW1 and SW2 – 4 to 6 metre buffer strips on cultivated land and intensive grassland

  ExistingIf hedgerowyour legislationagreement continuescontains SW1 or SW2 grass buffer strip options that are delivered next to apply.a Protectionshedgerow, you are inrequired placeto forstart nest-buildingmeasuring andthe youngoptions birds,at andleast for2 metres from the shelteringcentre placesof the hedgerow (excluding the land within 2 metres of wildthe animals. Youcentre mustof the hedgerow). This is because we are not removeable hedgerowsto withoutpay contactingyou yourfor localthe planning2-metre authoritybuffer first.strip which applies under the management of hedgerow regulations.

  WeIf haveyour consultedagreement onstarted hedgerowbefore protections1 including:January 2024, this is already a requirement of your CS buffer strip options.

  whether  If your agreements started on 1 January 2024, the requirement to havestart ameasuring ‘bufferyour strip’SW1 or SW2 buffer strips at least 2 metres from the centre of athe hedgerow tocomes protectinto itseffect structure,from and1 January 2025.  

  notIf cuttingyour duringSW1 or SW2 buffer strip option area overlaps the birdland rearingwithin season2 metres of the centre of the hedgerow, this may affect your agreement.