Catchment Sensitive Farming (CSF)
Capital Grant Scheme 2012/13
Key dates, information and changes for 2012/13
Information and changes
■ £21 million is currently committed for the Capital Grant Scheme this scheme year. There will be £15 million in 2013/14.
■ The application window will be open from 1 March 2012 to 30 April 2012.
■ The scheme is available in the existing 50 priority catchments and a number of new catchments. To find out if you are in a priority catchment and target area, please check the Natural England website: http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/ourwork/farming/csf/cgs/catchments.aspx
■ The maximum available grant per holding is £10,000.
■ The way in which payments are calculated has changed, there is no longer a payment on fixed standard costs, instead payment for capital items will be on the basis of 50% of the actual cost of agreed capital works up to the maximum guide price shown in the handbook. Work will still need to be completed and paid for in full before a claim can be submitted and claims will need to be fully supported by receipted invoices or documentary proof of value. There is no requirement to obtain quotes before submitting an application for grant.
■ The Farmer Handbook (CSF 3) covers updated scheme rules and detailed specifications for each capital item.
■ You must provide your Single Business Identifier (SBI) number, in addition to your vendor number to enable Rural Payments Agency (RPA) to make payments.
■ The scheme is competitive and not all good quality applications will receive an offer of funding.
■ If the total amount of grant applied for by all applicants exceeds the available budget, priority will be given to applications which:
Have land located in the target areas.
Best meet the scheme’s priorities and will deliver the greatest environmental benefit. NB: Each priority catchment has an individually tailored Funding Priority Statement (CSF 5) which lists ten priority items of equal merit to help reduce target pollutants in each catchment.
■ If there is a high over subscription, additional criteria will be used to assist with the prioritisation of grant applications, and consideration will be given to holdings and/or applicants that:
Are new applicants or the CSF grant received in previous years was less than £2,000 in total.
Have a current agreement under an agri-environment scheme e.g. Environmental Stewardship (HLS, ELS, CSS, ESA etc).
■ A reserve list will be held of next highest priority applications and you may subsequently be offered an agreement if higher priority successful applicants do not take up their agreement offers. Reserve list applicants should be informed if they have been successful by 28 September 2012.
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■ In exceptional circumstances, the scheme is able to offer special projects and collaborative agreements to increase the flexibility of the scheme and in order to address specific diffuse pollution problems on holdings. All such agreements will need the support of your local Catchment Sensitive Farming Officer (CSFO) and they will need to provide you with an endorsement form (CSF8) to attach to your application form.
■ If you are offered an agreement, it is a requirement of the scheme that you take photographs of all yard works CSF014 and roofing options CSF022E, CSF023, CSF026, as evidence of their condition when you joined the scheme and photos of work after it has been completed. These should be submitted with your claim year, with copies retained for future inspection if required.
■ Two new options have been added, Biofilters (CSF022C) and fencing alongside livestock tracks (CSF021E).
Key dates for 2012/13
■ Copies of relevant permissions/consents to be received by Natural England by 8 June 2012.
■ Aim to inform applicants if they have been successful by 13 July 2012 and reserve list applicants by 28 September 2012.
■ Claims with supporting invoices and photographs (where appropriate) to be received by Natural England by 28 February 2013.
■ Copies of final clearance letter(s) for conditional consents/permissions to be received by Natural England by 8 March 2013.
■ Natural England aims to process all claims by 31 March 2013 and/or make payment within two months of receipt.
■ Grant aided capital item(s) must be kept in their original agricultural use for which it/they were installed until 31 March 2018.
For further information on any of the above please speak to Richard Stanbury on 07736 118834 or 01769 575935.
Updated January 2012
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Disclaimer:
The contents of this factsheet are intended to inform, not offer specific advice on your individual circumstances. If you think the points covered may be to your benefit, please contact us for further advice. We cannot accept any responsibility for any financial loss incurred as a result of reading and acting on this factsheet without receiving individual advice and our written endorsement.
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