Rural Payments and Services

The aim of this item is to benefit moorland, heathland and grassland habitats by helping to control bracken cover and preventing habitat loss.

Controlling bracken can also help to restore a more open structure to the existing vegetation, which will encourage other native plants to thrive and provide better habitat for wildlife.

Land that is moorland, heathland or unimproved grassland with bracken is eligible.

You should not include areas of land covering rocks, scree, water, dense bracken etc. We will check this using the same approach we use to check land for the Basic Payment Scheme.

Assessing your land eligibility

You must combine this item with one of the following management options:

• Moorland Management
• Species-rich Grassland Management
• Habitat Mosaic Management
• Heath Management (Coastal, Serpentine, Lowland and Special Interest)

You must also combine this item with the Follow-up Treatment of Bracken – Mechanised or Chemical item.

You must prepare a bracken management plan.

The plan must include a 1:2,500 or 1:10,000 map showing the extent of the bracken, the areas to be treated, the type of management you propose (mechanical or manual) and identify the locations of sensitive areas. Only those areas safe to treat with mechanical/manual methods should be included.

The plan must also detail any proposed follow-up control.

• you must treat the area as detailed in your bracken management plan by mechanical methods
• if controlling bracken by mechanical methods, you must cut or crush the bracken and any regrowth. You will need to do this two or three times during the growing season
• you must maintain a diary which includes the dates treatment was undertaken

You can claim £225.00 per hectare treated land.

Land that is ineligible for the Basic Payment Scheme can be treated, but cannot be claimed for payment.

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 can include works which offer a dual benefit to both the environment and the long term management of a Scheduled Monument located within the designated site (Sites of Special Scientific Interest and Natura sites)

The inspectors will check:

• the location and extent of the work
• you have treated the area as detailed in your bracken management plan
• you have maintained a diary which includes the dates treatment was undertaken

Supporting guidance is available for this item.

Section	Change
Heading	Title changed to Primary Treatment of Bracken – Mechanised (Formerly Mechanised or Chemical)
Note	For 2024, you may only apply for mechanised treatment of bracken under this capital item.
Aim	Edits to cater for changes relating to capital item now it relates to Primary Treatment of Bracken -Mechanised only.
Application Requirements	Edits to cater for changes relating to capital item now it relates to Primary Treatment of Bracken -Mechanised only. Updated Bracken Control Plan template
Requirements	Edits to cater for changes relating to capital item now it relates to Primary Treatment of Bracken -Mechanised only
Inspections	Edits to cater for changes relating to capital item now it relates to Primary Treatment of Bracken -Mechanised only

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