Natural England - Entry Level Stewardship including Uplands ELS
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Entry Level Stewardship
Entry Level Stewardship including Uplands ELS
Entry Level Stewardship (ELS) including Uplands ELS is a voluntary, non-competitive scheme to encourage farmers across a wide area of farmland to deliver simple yet effective environmental management.
The scheme requires a basic level of environmental management and participants can choose from a wide range of more than 50 management options. These cover all farming types and include things such as hedgerow management, stone wall maintenance, low input grassland, buffer strips, and arable options.
How does ELS, including Uplands ELS, work?
Each year participants receive a payment for all the land entered into the scheme. In return they will be required to deliver land management options on land in the scheme. The standard payment rate is £30 per ha, with £8 per ha on land parcels of 15 ha or more above the Moorland Line. There are higher payments for Uplands ELS - up to £62 per ha.
Five-year agreements are available, with monthly start dates and automatic payments sent out every six months. This straightforward application involves completing a Farm Environmental Record.
Natural England’s target is to provide an agreement within three months of receipt of a valid application.
Uplands ELS
Uplands ELS was launched in February 2010, with new agreements starting from 1 July 2010. For more information on Uplands ELS please see our leaflet Look after your uplands with Environmental Stewardship. If you would like to attend one of our Uplands ELS events in your region, please see our Farm events page or call 0113 230 3753.
A guidance note has been produced by the Tenancy Reform Industry Group (TRIG) considering issues for graziers, tenants and landlords arising from the introduction of Uplands ELS.
How to apply
To apply for an ELS agreement, including Uplands ELS, please contact your regional office. Or to apply online contact the ELS Online Team.
ELS application guidance documents
The following documents will help you with your application for agreements to start on or after 1 February 2010:
Additional forms to download
Management of ELS grass margins
to achieve isolation requirements for grass seed cropsA series of leaflets showing how to make the most of ELS options for farmland birds, farm wildlife, cleaner water and healthier soil, and the historic environment.
Existing agreements
If you have an existing agreement that started between October 2008 and December 2009 you should refer to:
Example Options map [290 kB]
(also large version Key to map )Example Farm Environment Record [280 kB]
(also large version Key to Record )
If you have an existing agreement that started before October 2008 you should refer to:
Find out more
You can find out more about the scheme by attending one of our Farm events.
