Capital Works and Hedgerow & Boundaries Grant Scheme is now Open

Fri 6 March 2020

The application window for Countryside Stewardship Mid –Tier & Capital Works and Hedgerow & Boundaries grant scheme is now open in England.

Capital items include:

Concreting of farmyards with cross drains.

Livestock handling building

Manure Stores

Yard drainage

Fencing

Sprayer wash down buildings

Slurry & silage store roofing

Mid-Tier Application packs need to be ordered by 31^st May 2020. If you need a Catchment Sensitive Field Officer to approve capital works, like a covered muck store or concreting, they also need to be booked by 31^st May 2020.

If you’re able to deal with the paperwork involved and liaising with the CSFO, it would be worth getting everything in order now.

If you prefer to appoint an agent to take the stress out of it for you, offer sound professional advice and ensure you’re receiving your full entitlements, McCartneys have experts on hand at Knighton, Kington, Ludlow and Craven Arms.

We will visit the site, complete the application and attend at the same time as the CSFO to handle all enquiries and eventualities.

This spring is likely to be very busy and so the sooner you get booked in, the sooner we can get it done for you.

One such client that took advantage of the professional service was Owen Probert who appointed Katie Davies from our Knighton office.

Having met with Katie previously when she had dealt with numerous successful applications on their behalf, Owen made an appointment to discuss the works he was looking at applying for funding on.

The main requirements were for a manure store, covering the livestock handling building and concreting the yard.

Katie reviewed the options available which included applying for a stand-alone grant or a 5 year mid-tier and advised to apply for a whole yard plan with the 5 year mid-tier, to maximise income. The annual options chosen would fit in with the existing farming system and produce additional revenue. Capital items would also include funding to install underground pipework beneath the concrete yard and the fitting of guttering on the existing buildings.

An appointment was arranged by Katie to accompany the CSFO to the farm, where she also took photographs and measured up relevant areas. The application form was completed and returned prior to the deadline of 31^st July 2019.

Of course once the application is in the queries can arise. The majority of these enquiries are resolved by the McCartneys agent and only the queries requiring the clients input will be passed on. This ensures the process is as stress free to the client as possible.

In this case Katie did exactly that and once she had received notification from the RPA of funds granted it was studied meticulously to not only ensure it was correct, but that the claim offered had been calculated correctly.

Owen was then contacted to obtain confirmation that he would like to accept.

The works were then completed by the stated deadline. The photographic evidence of work were obtained and the claim form completed and submitted by Katie.

Owen says of the process, “Katie from McCartneys was really helpful, I was given good advice on all aspects of the application. From what I could claim for to the type of application that best suited my needs. It completely took the stress out of the application process. The grant ensures that we have money coming in. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend McCartneys.”

If you would like to use the professional services of McCartneys contact our Rural Experts:-

Knighton (Katie Davies/Lloyd Humphreys/Jenny Layton Mills) - 01547 528621

Kington (Gareth Wall/ Beth Hanson) - 01544 230316

Ludlow/Worcester (John Uffold/Phillip Blackman-Howard/Bradley Towell) - 01584 872251

Craven Arms (Joanna Wall) - 01588 672385