Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT) provides funding to farmers and land managers to manage land in ways that protect, restore and enhance the environment, while helping to mitigate the effects of climate change.
Since launching for invited applicants last year, the scheme has steadily expanded, enabling more farmers and land managers to access funding for complex environmental projects. And, at least £50 million will be available for new CSHT agreements this year, supporting targeted environmental improvements where they will have the greatest impact.
Until now, the scheme has operated on an invitation-only basis. This phased approach has allowed us to carefully manage the rollout, make necessary adjustments, and ensure participants receive tailored support.
Today, the Secretary of State shared plans to widen access by removing the invitation-only requirement.
Later this summer, farmers and land managers will be able to begin the application process by submitting an Expression of Interest (EOI) for agroforestry, woodland, and new single-focus agreements.
We also plan to trial applications on common land and increase payments for CSHT moorland and rough grazing actions.
This post summarises our plans.
A new EOI process
A new EOI process will take effect later this summer.
Farmers and land managers will be able to use it if they wish to apply for woodland agreements, agroforestry agreements and single-focus agreements (outlined below) through this route.
Single-focus agreements
Later this summer, single-focus agreements will be introduced to provide a quicker and simpler way for applicants to access funding for priority actions, without needing to apply for a full CSHT agreement.
Initially, these will cover species-rich grassland actions and scheduled monument management.
The actions for species-rich grassland and conservation of scheduled monuments are:
- CGS22: Manage priority habitat species-rich grassland (with related actions and supplements)
- CHS2: Take historic and archaeological features out of cultivation
- CHS3: Reduce cultivation depths on historic and archaeological features
- CHS4: Control scrub on historic and archaeological features
- CHS5: Manage historic and archaeological features on grassland
- CHS9: Restrict crop establishment depth on historic and archaeological features
You will need to register your interest through the new EOI process when it becomes available.
Up to 1,200 single-focus agreements will be available initially to support a smooth rollout and timely processing of applications.
You can apply for one or more single-focus agreements depending on your land and its features.
A further set of single-focus agreements is planned for later in the year, including:
- CGS19: Manage wet grassland for wintering waders and wildfowl
- CBE4: Manage traditional orchards
- CBE5: Create traditional orchards
Applications on common land
Later this year, we will test and refine the application process for common land before implementing a wider rollout.
A phased approach will enable us to identify improvements, incorporate feedback and ensure that the process is robust and effective. Further details will be shared in due course.
Increasing payment rates for moorland and rough grazing
Payment rates for CSHT moorland actions will increase to bring them in line with equivalent Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) actions.
An updated 'Manage rough grazing for upland breeding waders' action, with an increased payment rate, will also be introduced. More details will be shared soon.
Priority cohorts
The following groups of farmers and land managers will be prioritised in 2026/27:
Those who want to continue to manage important habitats and sites and/or increase their ambition
Natural England will support CSHT or Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) agreement holders whose agreements expire in 2026 or early 2027 and who wish to apply for a new CSHT agreement.
If you’ve already been contacted by Natural England with an invitation for pre-application advice or are discussing a CSHT application in 2026, you do not need to do anything.
If you have a CSHT agreement that expires on 31 December 2026, or your HLS agreement expires before 31 March 2027, your local Natural England adviser will contact you.
If your current CSHT agreement includes some actions expiring now, while others run until 2031, you will be offered an extension to maintain the environmental benefits.
Applications will also be accepted from a limited number of farmers and land managers whose agreements do not expire in 2026 to early 2027.
Numbers will be limited to around 300 agreements and subject to local capacity, with increased environmental ambition required as a condition of support. We will provide more information on this later this year.
Those with priority habitats or scheduled monument management actions whose CS Mid Tier agreement ends in 2026
If you are interested in a single-focus agreement to continue managing species-rich grassland or to protect scheduled monuments, you can complete the EOI process when it becomes available.
Those who want to manage, restore or create species-rich grassland or protect scheduled monuments
Proposals are also invited to manage, restore or create species-rich grassland, or to protect scheduled monuments that are not currently covered by agreements. If you are interested in a single-focus agreement to support this, you should complete the EOI process when it becomes available.
Those who want to manage their woodland sustainably, including managing important ancient semi-natural woodlands
If you have an approved woodland management plan, you can register your interest through the EOI process when it becomes available. The Forestry Commission will then work with you to prepare your application once your EOI has been approved.
You may also need to have one or more agreed species management plans. Applicants with expiring CSHT woodland agreements will need to ensure they have the required plans in place before submitting an EOI.
Those who want to introduce agroforestry into their farming system
CSHT can support all types of agroforestry, including on more sensitive land and for higher densities.
If you already have an agreed agroforestry plan and have planted the trees, you can register your interest by completing an EOI when it becomes available.
If an agroforestry plan has not yet been agreed or trees have not yet been planted, this must be done before you submit an EOI. Capital Grants are available to support both developing agroforestry plans and planting trees.
This year, agroforestry capital items and the woodland condition assessment will not be available through Capital Grants. Instead, they will be offered through the Higher Tier Capital Grants offer this summer.
Those who have completed preparatory work for a CSHT agreement
If you have already completed preparatory work for a CSHT agreement and have been working with Natural England, the Forestry Commission or Historic England, then you will be able to apply for a CSHT agreement.
This includes farmers and land managers who have completed a feasibility study or implementation plan. This might be, for example, to help raise water levels on lowland peat or support river restoration or wetlands.
Those who want to prepare an application for a CSHT agreement
If you have important habitats, features, or species on your land, or want to explore ways to reduce flooding or restore rivers or waterbodies, you may wish to apply for CSHT. In particular, the following applications are eligible for support:
- lowland and upland peat management and restoration
- lowland heath management, restoration and creation
- wetland habitats, including managing, restoring and creating fen, reedbed and wetland mosaics, or connecting, restoring or creating rivers and wet floodplains
- managing lakes and larger bodies of water
- management or creation of coastal habitats
To do this, you can apply for a number of studies or plans to prepare for a CSHT application later this year or next year.
PA1: Implementation plan and PA2: Feasibility study grants are available all year round to help you identify the works needed to create or restore habitats or features, or help threatened species recover.
Plans are also available to support the introduction of agroforestry, as well as moorland mapping and species management.
If you need to improve the condition of a particular site, such as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and need to work together on how best to improve your site. For example, if the site is common land or shared grazing, you should also consider applying for a Feasibility Study or Implementation Plan to prepare your application before your agreement expires.
Subscribe to the Farming Blog
Over the course of the year, we will continue expanding access to CSHT.
By subscribing to the Farming Blog you'll be the first to receive updates like this, alongside information on other support available to farmers and land managers in England.
Leave a comment