Introduction
This Option will create and maintain a mosaic of wash lands and dry lands by allowing the watercourse to overflow onto its natural flood plain.
What this will achieve
Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) species that may benefit include Irish Lady's-tresses, Reed Bunting and Pipistrelle Bat.
What you can do
Requirements.
You must:
- ensure that the natural flooding of the land is not hindered
- ensure that cultivations are not carried out within 12m of the water's edge (mean summer water level)
- agree any additional management specific to the site with Scottish Ministers.
The whole flood plain must be allowed to flood naturally at times of high water level creating a mosaic of wash lands, dry lands and wetlands. The watercourse must be allowed to flow naturally, with any impediment to natural flooding removed. This will occur where the watercourse meanders through a relatively flat area.
The floodplain area may contain a range of habitat types, some of which will be subject to separate management payments, such as wetlands or water margins. The flood plain management payment is additional to any payments to manage specific habitats within the flood plain.
Often, the management of a flood plain will involve more than one occupier and perhaps landowner. If you choose this Option, you must ensure that the interests of adjoining landowners are not prejudiced by any change in management. In practice, this means that a proposal for flood management will not be approved unless either the flood plain is a discrete area, all of which is occupied by yourself, or if all other landowners of the affected land are proposing to adopt this Option.
A collaborative approach is essential where the flood plain is not covered by one discrete area and more than one occupier or landowner manages the flood plain.
Who can apply
All land managers are eligible to apply for this Option.
Eligibility criteria
You can enter a site that forms all or part of a flood plain that may flood without adversely affecting other agricultural land. You can enter all or part of the site under other management Options in this Programme.
Land receiving payments for similar management under other agri-environment schemes is not eligible under this Option.
What costs could be supported
For a comprehensive list of Capital Items click here. Any cost claimed must be fully justified. The following are examples of what may be claimed:
When completing your Proposal, you can select the appropriate capital item(s) from the dropdown list of standard cost capital items for this Option.
In addition to the above capital items, financial support of up to 100% of eligible actual costs is available in respect of the following:
Please note that these capital items will not appear in the dropdown list of Standard Cost capital items for this Option and will need to be entered manually in the box for Actual Cost capital items. Only costs for the types of capital works listed above should be entered in the Actual Cost capital items box for this Option. Any other costs entered cannot be considered for funding.
To ensure value for money we require you to provide 2 competitive quotes for any capital items applied for which are based on actual cost. If, however, you are seeking grant support towards something so specialised it is only available through 1 source then we would accept 1 quote. Please see the guidance on quotes and estimates for more information.
Rate of support
This is a 5-year commitment. We will pay you £39 per hectare of land managed under this Option per year. We will pay at the end of each year.
Inspections/verification
The inspector will check the requirements (as detailed above under 'what you can do') of the Option are being met, by a visual assessment on the day of inspection.
Beneficiaries must comply with the requirements of cross compliance and the minimum requirements for fertiliser and plant protection products. You must also comply with the requirements to avoid damaging any features of historic or archaeological interest, and follow Scottish Ministers' guidance for the protection of such areas or features (detailed in links below).
The following is a brief overview of the inspection procedures, for a full explanation please see links below:
Inspectors will check:
- The natural flooding of the land is not hindered
- There have been no cultivations within 12 m of the water's edge
- All land managers affected have adopted the Option
- Claimed capital items have been completed to approved amounts and scheme standards
Links to relevant technical guidance
Minimum requirements for Fertiliser and Plant Protection Products - detailed guidance
Minimum requirements for protection of historic or archaeological features
'On the spot' inspections - overview of the inspection procedure