[alfi-b]

Hi, I have 5 acres in a village which was given me by my father in law before he sold his small farm. Mostly I kept horses on it acquired and retrained by myself and my daughter but I also had sheep and chickens for quite a few years and so have a holding number and SBI number. Now I have just one of my adult daughters ponies and 3 DIY grass liveries except the livery we offer is for laminitics and horses who cant cope with much grass and we have fenced off tracks for them which we are stealthily trying to partly hardcore so they don't turn into morass in the winter. We have a large field shelter which we put up at least 10 years ago and then had an apron of hardcore put around it. I asked the neighbors who overlooked the field and they were all ok and no one has complained. I saw the Countryside Stewardship scheme showing how you could get grants to extend and renovate hedgerows and put down hardcore around water and feed areas so I thought I would apply. Does anyone know anything about it and would I have to apply for planning as that's a scary thought., I live in a very middle class conservative village and I dont want to draw attention to myself as people probably already think I am a bit strange.  My son in law wants to start keeping other animals- I have an arrangement with a friendly farmer who has cows and sheep sometimes on my excess grass and then gives me hay and takes my muck away and I would like to put up a big polytunnel to grow stuff in. Any advice gratefully received!!!

[SallyintNorth]

You need to say which country you are in.

Here's the link to the English scheme

[juliem]

You have got to register for thescheme by 30 April 2018.I think the options are for wildlife meadows....so grazing at set time of year geared to be controlled by cattle.I don't think any options for hardstanding..there use to be with nitrate areas .No grants for planting hedges....just not cutting them in England every year.
All these schemes are geared towards large landowners who can set aside small areas but still have the contractors/machinery/and livestock to manage the pasture.Personally I wouldn't have horses on my fields...they do too much damage to the pasture including trees.