Money Available in HLS

We had all heard recently that there was plenty of money still available for Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) and we should be pursuing applications to take advantage of this. However, as part of the Government’s drive to find £6 billion pounds of savings this year, funding will be affected.

Defra and Natural England (NE) will contribute £162 million towards the £6 billion of savings. That is over 5% of Defra’s budget for 2010/11. The Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) budget will also be cut. These are only initial steps to reduce the public sector deficit, and NE and Defra will work with Government to balance this with the protection of the environment.

It is important to note that existing commitments for agreements and capital works will not be affected. But this will significantly affect the number of new in-year capital works within existing agreements that NE offers this year. With a smaller budget NE will look to fund projects which deliver the most environmental gain. NE states that they will still offer new HLS agreements including capital works.

Before applying for HLS you should discuss your proposals with a NE adviser on 0300 060 1114.

To discuss any rural issues with our specialists, please contact annabelle.savage@birkettlong.co.uk or 01206 217353.