The current Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) ends on 31 December 2013. This webpage includes information for farmers, land managers, agents and stakeholders on recent changes to Environmental Stewardship (ES) and information on key issues and deadlines for the remainder of the current programme.
Information Note: (126kb)
summarising how Natural England will manage:
Details the actions to be taken by ES applicants, agents and Natural England through the next two delivery years, including:
Details on how Natural England assess expiring agreements suitability for transfer into HLS or ELS/Uplands ELS and individual documents for each ESA aimed at providing national consistency, clarity and openness around how we do this.
MESME is a Defra-led project which aims to improve the delivery of environmental outcomes from ES. Ministers have now approved the main MESME recommendations but details are yet to be approved by the European Commission. Draft details are provided here.
Defra have produced an Information Note and Q&A regarding how RDPE changes are likely to affect ES agreements which start in 2012 or 2013. Follow link above for further details including:
Following an EU audit, there have been changes to the way farmers are paid under Defra's agri-environment schemes. The audit looked at whether England was complying with EU rules introduced in 2007 relating to how and when payments are made.
Further information includes the latest Defra Press Release, Q&A document: (65kb)
and ES Payment Timing tool: (358kb)
.