Natural England
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Terms and conditions, and rules for existing agreement holders, from 29 October 2024
Legal protections have been put in place to protect hedgerows from damage and to protect the habitats and wildlife within them. These legal protections are provided by the Management of Hedgerows (England) Regulations 2024 which came into force on 23 May 2024.
Read how the Management of Hedgerows (England) Regulations 2024 affect your agreement for the detailed changes made to the 2nd edition (2008), 3rd edition (2010) and 4th edition (2013), Entry Level, Organic Entry Level, Uplands Entry Level and Higher Level Stewardship handbooks.
Terms and conditions, and rules for existing agreement holders, from 1 January 2024
Cross compliance ended at midnight on 31 December 2023. You must follow the modified terms and conditions that came into effect on 1 January 2024.
Read the Environmental Stewardship: terms and conditions, and rules for existing agreement holders, from 1 January 2024 for the detailed changes made to the 2nd edition (2008), 3rd edition (2010) and 4th edition (2013), Entry Level, Organic Entry Level, Uplands Entry Level and Higher Level Stewardship handbooks.
Modified terms and conditions effective from 1 January 2023
You must follow the modified terms and conditions that come into effect on 1 January 2023.
Read the 2022 addendum for the detailed changes made to the 2nd edition (2008), 3rd edition (2010) and 4th edition (2013), Entry Level, Organic Entry Level, Uplands Entry Level and Higher Level Stewardship handbooks.
About Environmental Stewardship
Environmental Stewardship (ES) is a land management scheme. The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) manages existing agreements until they reach their agreed end date.
There are 3 levels to the scheme:
- Entry Level Stewardship (ELS) includes Uplands ELS: simple and effective land management agreements with priority options
- Organic Entry Level Stewardship (OELS) includes Uplands OELS: organic and conventional mixed farming agreements
- Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) - more complex types of management and agreements tailored to local circumstances.
Use the correct handbook for your agreement
The terms and conditions of your existing agreements are determined by the relevant scheme handbook.
Handbook 1: agreement start dates from 1 February 2006 to 30 September 2008
ELS handbook:
OELS handbook:
HLS handbook
Handbook 2: agreement start dates from 1 October 2008 to 31 December 2009
ELS handbook:
OELS handbook:
HLS handbook:
- 2nd edition: October 2008 (NE108)
- options, capital items and management conditions: 2nd edition October 2008
- payments booklet: 2nd edition October 2008
Handbook 3: agreement start dates from 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2012
ELS handbook:
OELS handbook:
- 3rd edition: February 2010 and official list of changes: November 2010 (NE228)
- ES - supplement for 1st, 2nd and 3rd editions (NE360)
HLS handbook:
- 3rd edition: February 2010 and official list of changes: November 2010 (NE227)
- ES - supplement for 1st, 2nd and 3rd editions (NE359)