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Environmental Stewardship & Land Management Schemes

We design and deliver environmental schemes that produce optimal results for the environment and for your land and business.

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Environmental Stewardship & Land Management Schemes

Environmental & Countryside Stewardship Schemes

Managing successful stewardship applications and agreements

GSC Grays have decades of experience in piloting, planning and delivering agri-environment schemes for farmers and landowners across a huge range of sectors and locations, including Higher Level Stewardship, Mid and Higher Tier Countryside Stewardship and the new Environmental Land Management scheme (ELM).

We know that to be successful an environmental scheme must be fully integrated with the existing farming practices or management objectives for the holding. Our consultants are experienced in working with Natural England and the Rural Payments Agency, and balancing multiple, at times conflicting, interests, including farming, sporting, public access, grazing and commons. We understand habitat management and conservation practice, while also being committed to representing and championing the farming and sporting industries in which we work, which has led to a consistent success-rate in applying for and negotiating stewardship agreements and site restoration plans.

We provide a comprehensive service for farms and landowners who hold existing stewardship agreements, or are interested in applying for one, including an initial assessment of available schemes, scheme design, preparing and managing an application, transfers or amendments to existing schemes, extensions and annual claims. We can also assist with the management of your scheme, preparing practical management guides and issuing reminders of key-dates, to help you stay on top of the requirements of your agreement.

Environmental Land Management Scheme (ELM)

Public money for public goods

The new Environmental Land Management scheme (ELM) will have two central objectives: to deliver public goods and to tackle the environmental challenges that are currently associated with agriculture. It will soon replace both the Basic Payment Scheme and Countryside Stewardship as the core source of public funding for farmers, foresters and land managers and we want our clients to be ready for the challenges and the opportunities that will present.

As the design of the new scheme takes shape, we are developing guidance for our clients on how to prepare for the introduction of ELM in 2024. GSC Grays are involved in testing and co-design for the new scheme, and we are ready to deliver applications and schemes as soon as they are available to our clients. Our knowledgeable environmental and farm consultants are always happy to answer questions about the new scheme and how it might impact your farm or rural business.

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Capital grants

Capital funding for farm infrastructure & boundary works

Capital grants are currently available as stand-alone grant schemes or as part of a Mid Tier or Higher Tier Countryside Stewardship scheme.

Water Quality Capital Grants are location-specific and require support from a Catchment Sensitive Farming Officer. For those whose holding lies within the right area, they can provide significant funding for yard infrastructure work and other measures to reduce agricultural pollution, such as livestock tracks, water troughs or renewing concrete yards. Some items, such as covers for slurry stores, will soon become mandatory, so accessing funding now could help you to stay ahead of tightening regulations.

Hedgerow and Boundary grants are widely available and provide capital funding for the restoration of hedgerows and drystone walls.

Our agents can assist with preparing grant applications and the project management of capital works when required. We keep all our clients abreast of the latest grant funding opportunities and are always ready to advise on the support that may be available to you in your region.

Woodland Creation & Management

Maximising returns from new planting or existing woodland

Woodland can deliver many benefits: sheltering stock, preventing erosion, producing timber, reducing flood risk, sequestering carbon, and providing habitat and food for wildlife. Woodland creation grants and support for ongoing woodland management can also make planting woodland an attractive proposition on lower yielding or challenging farmland. If you are interested in planting woodland, we can provide an initial appraisal of the suitability of the site, the grants that may be available to you and a projected annual income from public or private funding sources.

The active management of existing woodland can increase the benefits it delivers and may be beneficial for tax reasons. Our consultants are experienced in preparing woodland management plans targeted at your objectives. Whether you are interested in enhancing a woodland’s biodiversity value, improving its ability to sequester carbon or optimising its timber production, we can advise on how best to maximise returns from newly planted or existing sites.

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GSC Grays are experts in rural land and property. You can find all the information you need about the sectors that we specialise in, from estate agency to environmental management. We are here to help you to achieve your goals for your rural property, business, farm or estate, today and for generations to come.

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