Rural Payments and Services

For the restricted AECS 2021 application round the FEA requirement is different to that from previous years.

For the following application types;

• Applications to benefit protected areas (SSSIs and Natura sites)
• Applications to benefit waders, corn buntings or corncrakes

you are not required to complete a whole farm or holding environmental assessment, you should instead provide;

1. A Contextual map showing the farm boundary and the location of all proposed management. For protected area applications please also show the protected area boundary.

and;

2. Farm Environment Management Map

(On smaller locations these maps can be one and the same e.g where the boundary and the required management detail can be provided on a single map).

The management map should clearly show where the proposed management options and capital items are to be undertaken on the farm. Please refer to the “Marking your maps” and “Management Map” details on the Mapping page.

Each piece of management activity should be individually labelled with a map letter for identification purposes and shown using a clear coloured map key. These map letters must correspond to the map letters provided in the online application.

Associated capital items may have the same map letter to avoid the map becoming cluttered.

Similarly, capital items associated with management options may be shown by a line or symbol and have the same map letter. For example, fencing a water margin, as long as the map key clearly identifies the capital items.

You can download an example of a Farm Environment Management Map.

For the restricted AECS 2021 application round there is no requirement for a diffuse pollution field-based or steading risk assessments or maps.

Slurry storage applications

See the option guidance for requirements for this option

Organic conversion and maintenance applications

See the option guidance for requirements for this option

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