Rural Payments and Services

The aim of this item is to protect water and soil quality by either relocating a gate where possible to a location of lesser risk or creating hard standings around gateways or other small discrete areas that are at high risk of erosion due to concentrated livestock or machinery movements.

This option can be used to fund:

• the relocation of a gate where this is practical
• the creation of a hardstanding base for a gateway
• the creation of a hardstanding base for a trough

Gateways, and small areas of land around gateways and troughs, which are at high risk of becoming significantly poached or eroded and that may pose a pollution risk to nearby watercourses are eligible.

You can check if this item is available on your holding which can be found on any of the following AECS guidance pages:

AECS Home

Eligibility

How to Apply

Management Options and Capital Items

Capital Items

You must prepare a plan identifying the location and the nature of the risk factors of all sites that are to be entered under this item.

You must also produce a diffuse pollution steading assessment.

Run-off from the gateway / hard standing must not directly enter a watercourse.

For relocating gates:

• gates must be stock proof
• gates must be either timber or galvanised steel, and must be at least 3000 millimetres wide
• gate posts (both the hanging and slam posts) must be either timber or galvanised steel
• if timber, gates and gateposts must be pressure-treated softwood or untreated hardwood
• posts must be firmly dug or driven into the ground and concreted in if required
• gates must swing freely
• wire, twine or rope are not acceptable as latches

You can claim:

• relocation of a gate: £230
• creation of a hardstanding: £12.50 per square metre

The inspectors will check:

• the location and extent of any creation of a hard standing
• the location and number of gates; an invoice check may be required
• gates are stock proof
• gates are either timber or galvanised steel
• gate posts (both the hanging and slam posts) are either timber or galvanised steel
• if timber, gates and gateposts are pressure-treated softwood or untreated hardwood
• posts are firmly dug or driven into the ground and concreted in if required
• gates swing freely
• wire, twine or rope have not been used as latches

Supporting guidance is available for this item.

Section	Change
Application Requirements	Insertion of link to Diffuse Pollution Risk assessment and Diffuse Pollution Steading Assessment web page

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