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When you can apply to CS Higher Tier 聽

This summer, we will publish CS Higher Tier information setting out:聽

• who is eligible聽聽
• how to apply and request specialist advice for Higher Tier actions聽
• details of each Higher Tier action available to apply for聽

If you鈥檙e eligible to apply for CS Higher Tier actions, you may need specialist advice before you start your application. You鈥檒l normally get this advice through Natural England or Forestry Commission. You may need additional advice from Historic England.聽

Later this summer, you鈥檒l be able to start working with Natural England or Forestry Commission to prepare to apply for CS Higher Tier. This includes any feasibility studies or plans you may need to do.听听聽

You鈥檒l be able to submit your online application for CS Higher Tier in the Rural Payments service this winter, with the first agreements starting from early 2025. Applications will then stay open throughout the year, so you can choose when to apply. Agreements will normally start the month after your application is approved.听听

What you can get paid to do in CS Higher Tier聽

CS Higher Tier will offer farmers, foresters and land managers agreements for multi-year land management actions to protect, restore or enhance the environment. It is different to SFI because you鈥檒l work with Natural England or Forestry Commission to tailor actions to your land. You may also need additional advice from Historic England.聽

CS Higher Tier will include a range of actions to:聽

• manage woodland聽
• manage agroforestry聽
• create, restore and manage different habitats, including wetlands, coastal habitats, lowland peat and grassland habitats聽
• manage waterbodies such as lakes, ponds and rivers聽
• manage land to help prevent, or increase resilience to flooding聽
• support species recovery through managing specific animal and plant species聽
• provide permissive access to the public聽
• support conservation and restoration of historic and archaeological features聽聽

Annex A includes a summary of the actions that will be available in CS Higher Tier. It provides information on the aim of the actions, their duration and the payment rate.聽

You鈥檒l also be able to apply for some SFI actions through CS Higher Tier, where:聽

• CS Higher Tier actions need to be done in combination with SFI actions to deliver the intended outcomes, and in some cases may need to be tailored to the specific site聽
• they are supplements that support the delivery of other actions聽

Annex B includes an indicative list of the SFI actions that we expect to be available through CS Higher Tier. We will provide an update this summer.听听

You can also apply for capital items to help you achieve the aims of the CS Higher Tier actions. New capital items will be available later this year. We will publish information on new and existing capital items this summer.聽

If you need to complete a feasibility study or a plan before you apply, you can apply for funding through Capital Grants.听听

How we鈥檝e improved CS Higher Tier聽

We are making several changes to CS Higher Tier, building on improvements we have already made in SFI. These changes include:聽聽

• rolling applications so you can apply at a time that suits you聽
• a clearer and faster process to develop and approve applications聽聽
• monthly agreement start dates, once your application has been developed and approved聽聽
• quarterly payments, so you鈥檙e paid in instalments rather than a single annual payment聽
• more flexible, less prescriptive actions where possible聽

CS Higher Tier will be directed at the most environmentally important sites such as sites of special scientific interest, commons and woodlands, and you鈥檒l need to work with Natural England or Forestry Commission to apply.

We are working to increase the number of CS Higher Tier applications we can take forward. The improvements will help us support twice as many people to get a CS Higher Tier agreement by the end of 2025 to 2026.

This means you may be able to get a CS Higher Tier agreement when in the past you may have been unsuccessful. If you鈥檙e unlikely to be accepted into a CS Higher Tier agreement, we will tell you as early as possible, for example so you can choose to apply for SFI 颈苍蝉迟别补诲.听

Who is eligible for CS Higher Tier聽聽

To be eligible for CS Higher Tier, the land you manage must be entirely in England. You鈥檙e eligible if you鈥檙e a:聽聽

• landowner or occupier聽聽
• tenant with management control of eligible land for the duration of your agreement actions or have your landlord鈥檚 countersignature 聽
• 濒补苍诲濒辞谤诲听听

Depending on the actions you want to apply for, eligible land could include:聽聽

• agricultural land聽聽
• 飞辞辞诲濒补苍诲听听
• protected sites, such as sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs) and Scheduled Monuments, or Registered Parks and Gardens聽
• common land or shared grazing land聽

We will publish what land is eligible for each action this summer.