Rural Payments and Services

The aim of this item is to protect an existing or newly created habitat from grazing livestock, or to control grazing within an existing or newly created habitat.

Any land where the area to benefit is included in a management option or a newly created capital item is eligible.

You must identify the location of the proposed fence on a map.

Please note, in light of the aim of this capital item, if there is a current stock fence in place and it is not derelict and would last the five years of an AECS agreement then funding for a new stock fence would not be considered acceptable. See ‘Note 2’ for further information.

Current and proposed grazing practices will also be considered in determining if the stock fence is necessary/beneficial for a particular management option.

Stock fence would only be eligible in relation to a capital item if it was required to protect the capital item or to protect people and livestock e.g. fencing off a newly created swale.

If you have shared responsibility for the fence, a Shared Boundary Agreement form must be completed and submitted with your application.

Note 1 - Stock Fencing costs are not permitted for any wader, corncrake or corn bunting options. However, temporary electric fencing can be applied for under these options where it is justified to deliver management. Temporary electric fencing comes under the Scare and Temporary Electric fencing capital item.

For Wild Bird Seed for Farmland Birds and Forage Brassica Crops for Farmland Bird only Temporary electric fencing can be used to enable management where that management is rotated around the farm over the contract period. The temporary electric fencing can then be re-used to enable management on subsequent plots. Fencing for forage brassica crops is only available where the site will be grazed by livestock.

Stock fencing with these options will only be considered where a robust justification can be demonstrated by the applicant business.

Note 2 - If you received funding for fencing in a previous AECS round you cannot apply for remedial or replacement fencing in a new AECS application. Similarly, you cannot apply for remedial or replacement fencing under AECS if you have received funding for fencing under another SRDP mechanism such as the Crofting Agricultural Grant Scheme. For fences funded in the early rounds of the Rural Priorities Scheme or comparable previous schemes up to 2014 that are not expected to last another five years, applications can be considered for fencing costs on stretches of fence needing replaced subject to a site visit by the case officer to confirm the costs are justifiable.

Note 3: Organic Conversion: As this option is to help farmers with the cost of converting their land to organic systems, capital items such as stock fences are not normally eligible. An exception may be made where the land was previously under a continually cropped arable system which is being converted to an organic system where grass and grazing are being re-introduced. Consequently you must supply a justification for any capital items applied under Organic Conversion, detailing why these should be considered as exceptional by the case officer.

Organic Maintenance: as this option supports the cost of maintaining an organic management system, capital costs are not eligible.

• you must erect a fence which will form a stock proof barrier
• for conventional stock fencing, there must be a minimum of six line wires or two line wires and woven wire netting
• posts must be placed at intervals of no more than 3.5 metre centres. For a high tensile fence, the posts can be placed at up to 12 metre centres
• if using permanent electric fences you must display warning notices. These must be placed at access points and suitable intervals of not more than 100 metres along the length of the fence-line
• barbed wires must not be used in electrified fences
• you must maintain a diary

You can claim:

• £5.50 per metre
• £2.75 per metre where the fence will form a shared boundary

You may apply for payment on an actual cost basis for this item if the work you are proposing to carry out will benefit the notified features of a designated site, and where there are exceptional circumstances.

This item can be supported with the following capital items:

• Gate (only one gate per fenceline should be claimed)

The inspectors will check:

• the location and extent of the work
• you have erected a fence which will form a stock proof barrier
• for conventional stock fencing, there is a minimum of six line wires or two line wires and woven wire netting
• posts are placed at intervals of no more than 3.5 metre centres. For a high tensile fence, the posts can be placed at up to 12 metre centres
• if using permanent electric fences you have displayed warning notices. These must be placed at access points and suitable intervals of not more than 100 metres along the length of the fence-line
• barbed wires are not used in electrified fences.
• you have maintained a diary

Section	Change
Application requirements	Revised ‘Notes’ 1 and 2 and added ‘Note’ 3
Payment	Revised to state only one gate per fenceline should be claimed

Previous versions of this page

Click 'Download this page' to create a printer-friendly version of this guidance that you can save or print out.