[juliem]

Has anyone had a chance to study the latest proposals by Mr Gove to replace/simplify the farm subsidy system.I have 5 hectares....small fields..lots of hedges..permaneant pasture grazed by sheep.No fertilisers/occasionally topping. I actually get the mid teir allowance of £200 per hectare at the moment....but for how much longer?
Looking at the new proposals and what hoops I am going to have to jump through.Dismayed by the hedges rule.....only cutting one in 3 years and £8 for every 100m of hedge does not seem generous.The one in 2 years option for hedge cutting only if you have your hedge cut in January.My fields too wet then.Have always cut my hedges every year.They are very difficult to cut if left over 1 year and look untidy.
A lot of the other options are for reseeded grass in last 5 years...mine has been permaneant pasture since the 1950's.
Mr Gove  said he wanted to do away with agents and simplify system so landowners could claim direct......but stilll looks very bureacratic /complicated to me.

[juliem]

Also looks like these wildlife options geared to be managed by grazing with cattle.....rather than sheep

[Terry T]

I’m afraid I don’t know much about this... but maybe if the payment are geared at changing behaiviours to benefit wildlife, then trimming hedges less often will generate far more pollen and fruit for wildlife. And I understood that grazing with cattle can be better for wildflowers as they don’t graze so low...

[juliem]

Talked to the Rural Payment Agency today....they are always very helpful.
The window for claiming for Basic Payment Scheme for 2018 will open in March and last to May.they usually send an email if your on their system and have claimed before. Once the claim is set up online it's only a matter of a few minutes to reclaim.
However these wildlife options seem to be geared to the big landowners who have reseeded special grass mixtures in the last 5 years..have cattle to control grazing and cut hedges every 3 years.

[Maysie]

I am a total newbie to all of this Rural Payments stuff.  Last year we bought over 5 hectares of land with our farm and apparently purchased the 'Entitlements' as part of the deal from the previous owner.  I have found the advice online (GOV.UK) utterly incomprehensible and do not know where to start the whole process. 

The previous owner had claimed on the land, so it should (I assume) be possible for me to do the same. 

- Should I have received some sort of paperwork regarding the 'Entitlements'?  (Nothing received to date). 
- The land is just permanent pasture, so is it more hassle than it is worth? 
- What should I be doing now? (If anything...). 

TIA

[juliem]

are you in England ?

[juliem]

assuming you are in England give the Rural Payment agency a ring. They will set you up and you should eventually be able to log on to your account....and have a look at all your land parcels/maps online and then when the window to claim for the 2018 year is triggered (soon in March) you apply . The money is payed on Dec 1.If it's permaneant pasture it's probably what I get circa £200 per hectare .Pays for a bit of fencing/hedgecutting/drainage improvements. And you never know what else it might entitle you to in the future.
Not taxable as far as I know.
Only hassle is if you do get a visit in from an Inspector in the future and you've applied weedkiller...they want to see that you've got that qualification.
The cut off for applying is mid May...so you really need to be getting yourself set up online now .The RPA are always very friendly/helpful.
.

[Maysie]

Yes, in England (just!). 
I have registered with the DEFRA website and set up a SBI number etc, but the previous owner has not yet transferred their Entitlements, so I guess a call to my solicitors who dealt with the sale is in order! 

£200 per hectare doesnt sonund like much, but as you say, it is better than nothing and can be put towards something useful to improve the ground. 

Many thanks