There are constantly new grants available. For a fuller list of grants, please contact us.
Environmental Stewardship
The Environmental Stewardship (ES) scheme that Natural England runs provides funding to farmers and other land managers in England who deliver effective environmental management on their land, over and above that required for the Single Farm Payment (SPS) cross compliance conditions. The scheme can fund the restoration, management and creation of traditional orchards for their landscape, historic and wildlife value, and also to facilitate public access to them.
ES comprises of two strands; Entry Level Stewardship and Higher Level Stewardship.
Entry Level Stewardship
ELS is a 'whole farm' scheme open to all farmers and land managers who farm their land conventionally. It is simple to join and administer, with a range of over 50 land management options, each of which is worth a certain number of ‘points’. Applicants are required to meet a ‘points target’ of 30 points per hectare. Provided you agree to deliver options to meet the ‘points target’ for your holding, you will be automatically accepted into the scheme and receive a payment of £30 per hectare for all the land you enter into the scheme.
The main options that are applicable to traditional orchards are those for boundary features (EB), trees and woodland (EC), Lowland grassland (EK) and management plans (EM) and possibly the archaeological options (ED).
Commercial bush orchards are also eligible for ELS. Although they will not be able to meet the conditions for the in-field options, in most cases it should be possible to score sufficient points using the boundary options listed above to qualify for ELS across the whole orchard area.
Agreements will last five years. Payments are automatic and will be received every six months. ELS agreements have monthly start dates; the agreement will start at the beginning of the next month once your application has been accepted.
If you have a mix of conventionally and organically farmed land, or if your land is farmed organically, you should apply for OELS.
Organic Entry Level Stewardship
OELS is a 'whole farm' scheme similar to ELS, open to farmers who manage all or part of their land organically and who are not receiving aid under the Organic Aid Scheme (OAS) or the Organic Farming Scheme (OFS).
Applicants are required to meet a ‘points target’ of 60 points per hectare. Applicants will automatically receive 30 ‘points’ per hectare to reflect the inherent environments benefits delivered through organic farming. The remaining 30 ‘points’ will be obtained through the various management options, which are similar to ELS options. As with ELS, provided you meet the ‘points target’ for your holding, you will automatically be accepted and receive a payment of £60 per hectare.
Aid for converting conventionally farmed, established top fruit orchards (planted with pears, plums, cherries and apples, excluding cider apples) is also available as a top-up to OELS payments, at a rate of £600 per hectare for three years. To qualify, the land must not previously have been converted to full organic production, it must be registered as ‘in conversion to organic farming’ with an Organic Inspection Body and be in its first year of conversion, before an application is made.
Higher Level Stewardship
HLS is designed to build upon ELS and OELS to form a comprehensive agreement which will be combined with ELS or OELS options and deliver significant environmental benefits in high priority situations and areas. HLS concentrates on the more complex types of management where land managers need advice and support, with agreements tailored to local circumstances.
HLS funds the restoration of traditional apple, pear, cherry, plum and damson orchards, characterised by widely spaced standard fruit trees of old and local varieties, normally at a spacing of less than 150 trees/hectare. Cob nuts plats are also included. HLS does not fund modern orchards consisting of closely spaced dwarf varieties.
Under HLS scheme agreement holders enter a 10 year agreement with a five-year break clause, during which time they agree a schedule of work to manage the orchard for cultural, historic and wildlife objectives and where appropriate plant new trees of traditional varieties.
In most cases, when you apply for HLS you must also apply for, or already be in, either ELS or OELS. You will need to prepare a Farm Environment Plan (FEP) to identify important environmental features on your holding, for which you will receive a payment based on the area of your holding. This can be prepared by yourself or on your behalf by an agent, and is submitted with your application.
Unlike ELS and OELS, HLS is competitive and discretionary. Provided your application is successful, the agreement will be developed in discussion with your RDS advisor.
The HLS payments are split into two types; land management payments and capital item payments.
Land management payments are paid bi-annually, six months in lieu (i.e. for an agreement starting in January 2006 the first payment will be made in July 2006). They are intended for the ongoing management of the trees and the grassland underneath. There are four land management options available for orchards.
Maintenance of high value traditional orchards £250/ha/year
Restoration of traditional orchards £250/ha/year
These options are aimed at orchards which are managed on a non-commercial or extensive basis. Management will involve maintaining all mature trees, retaining standing and fallen deadwood and grazing without the use of fertilisers, rolling or chain harrowing. Restoration may include restorative pruning, re-introducing annual pruning and replanting.
Maintenance of traditional orchards in production £90/ha/year
This option is aimed at maintaining traditional orchards which contribute to the historic landscape character of an area and are being managed on a commercial basis. Management will include maintaining the characteristic standard tree form, protecting trees from livestock damage and following an agreed programme of pruning, crop protection to control specific pests and diseases and sward management, tailored to the site.
Creation of traditional orchards £190/ha/year
This option aims to enhance historic landscape character by creating small orchards, usually less than 1 ha., on sites that either contain remnant trees or are known to have been orchard in the past. The option may also be used to increase the area of orchard habitat to support threatened species such as the noble chafer beetle.
Capital payments are for one-off work and include:
- Planting fruit trees £17/tree
- Orchard tree guard (tube and mesh) £3.30/guard
- Orchard tree guard (cattle proof) £36/guard
- Orchard tree guard (sheep proof) £32/guard
- Restorative tree pruning £17/tree
- Identification of fruit tree varieties £30/variety
Additional payments for livestock management such as fencing and water supply may also be available.
More information on the scheme can be found on the Natural England website; http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/planning/grants-funding/es/default.htm
For further details or information, contact Chris Wedge, Defra, Rural Development Service, Block 3, Government Buildings, Burghill Road, Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol BS10 6NJ, phone 0300 060 1998.
BTCV People's Places
If your community group is seeking funding to create or improve a green space, this award could help. Funded by the New Opportunities Fund (Green Spaces & Sustainable Communities Programme), grants of £3,000 to £10,000 are available.
Contact: BTCV Gloucestershire: James Aylward. BTCV, Tithe Barn Centre, Brockworth Court, Brockworth, Gloucester. GL3 4QU. Tel: (01452) 864805.
South Gloucestershire Grants
South Gloucestershire Council operate a grant scheme for orchards in South Gloucestershire only:
- South Gloucestershire Environment Grant for local groups or voluntary organizations, for environmental projects which are of benefit to the wider community. Individuals may also apply. Up to 80% grant support can be provided.
- Biodiversity Action Grant, in conjunction with English Nature, to offer support (up to 50%, to a max. of £500) to landowners for work which will conserve and/or enhance the biodiversity of South Gloucestershire.
Contact Richard Aston, Principal Officer, South Gloucestershire Council, Civic Centre, High Street, Kingswood, South Gloucestershire BS15 9TR. 01454 863725 or 07775 704914 Richard.Aston@southglos.gov.uk
Orchards GOG has assisted with:
Financially through the generous grant of £10,000 from Severn Trent Community Recovery Fund:
- Fishponds Community Orchard (previously called Thingwall Park Community Orchard), Bristol
- Cutsdean Orchard
- Chipping Campden School
- Churchdown Community Orchard
- The Orchard Trust, Forest of Dean
- Lower Slaughter Parish Orchard
- Individual Flood Victim Mark Campbell
- Highleadon Green Association.
- Thrupp Community Orchard
- Abbeymead Primary School
- Gastrells Community Primary School, Stroud
- Elmbridge Infants School
- Priors Park, Tewkesbury
Also:
- Tewksbury C of E Primary
- Glenfall Community Primary (Cheltenham)
- Belmont Special Needs School (Cheltenham)
- Hillview Primary (Gloucester), Kingsholm Primary (Gloucester)
- Abbeymead Primary (Gloucester)
- Charlton Kings Junior school.
In the pipeline:
- Brockworth Court
- And several others.
Although the Severn Trent grant has now been used up, please contact us if you would like to be placed on a reserve list should further funding be forthcoming from elsewhere.
We have, of course, given advice/information to hundreds of other orchards throughout the county, including schools, community groups and individuals. We have also assisted the Peoples Trust for Endangered Species with hundreds of orchard surveys, coordinated by Anita Burrough and Martin Hayes (GOG’s chief surveyor).
Schools Advice is available on our School orchard page »
