FG1: Fencing

How much you’llwill be paid paid

£6.34 per metre (m).

HowWhere thisto itemuse benefitsthis the environmentitem

ControllingIt livestockis protectsavailable environmentalfor featuresCountryside andStewardship helpsMid toTier manage habitats.

This item can help you protect, recover and improveHigher biodiversityTier onif yourone land.

Whereof youthe canfollowing use this item 

You can use this item either:apply:

• alongsidein conjunction with a habitat management,management restoration or creation action or option where you need new fencing is required to meet the option grazing requirements
• to prevent water pollution caused by farming –(approval you do not need approval from Catchment Sensitive Farming andis thenot parcelrequired nor does notthe parcel need to be in a highHigh priorityPriority area for water qualityquality)
• to protect environmental features such(for asexample newly planted trees, buffer strips and field corners taken out of management,management) or existing woodland (or as agreed with the Forestry Commission)Commission Woodland Officer
• as

It partis ofavailable afor Countryside Stewardship Capital Grants and Woodland Tree Health grant health:

You

• to cannotprevent usewater thispollution itemcaused onby afarming site(approval wherefrom aCatchment fenceSensitive hasFarming receivedis anot grantrequired innor does the lastparcel 7need years

  Yourto Historicbe Environmentin Farma EnvironmentHigh RecordPriority (HEFER)area willfor identify:

  • scheduledwater monumentsquality)
  • registeredto parksprotect environmental features (for example newly planted trees, buffer strips and gardens
  • registeredfield battlefields
  • Selectedcorners Heritagetaken Inventoryout forof Naturalmanagement) Englandor (SHINE)as sitesagreed with the Forestry Commission Woodland Officer

  You

  Where must not use this item oncannot scheduledbe monuments,used

  • on registeredhistoric parks and gardens or registeredarchaeological battlefieldsfeatures withoutas writtenidentified approvalin fromthe Historic England.

    YouEnvironment mustFarm notEnvironment useRecords this(HEFER)

  • on itema onsite SHINEwhere sitesa withoutfence writtenhas approvalreceived froma yourgrant localin authoritythe historiclast environment7 adviser.
    years

  WhatHow youthis mustitem dowill tobenefit usethe thisenvironment

  This item helps control livestock, protects environmental features and helps to manage habitats.

  Requirements

  IfFor usingnew woodenagreements posts, you must:

  • remove all old fencing material before putting up the new fencing

  For wooden posts you must:

  • use softwood timber that’sthat is fully peeled, coated with wood preservative and pressure treatedtreated, or treated with an HSE approved industrial wood preservative,preservative so(to you comply with Use Class 4 that’sas defined in BS8417:2014 Preservation‘ ‘Preservation of Wood – Code of PracticePractice’. –Untreated youdurable timber can usebe untreatedused durable timber as set out in the Forestry Commission guide to forest fencing
  • erectfencing. theAs steel-wirean fencealternative to atwooden leastfence 1.05mposts, highyou whencan installed
  • use additionalmetal strandsfence ofposts. galvanisedFor steelHigher wireTier (plainyou orshould barbed)  agree ifthis youwith needyour extraNatural height.England UseAdviser enoughor strandsForestry toCommission controlWoodland theOfficer
  • erect livestocka –fence theyat shouldleast be1.05 m high when installed. Use strands of galvanised 4 millimetresmm (mm) mild steel plain steelor 2.5 mm barbed wire. The use of high tensile wire oris also permitted at a minimum of 2.5mm highdiameter. tensileUse wire  sufficient orstrands barbedto wirecontrol the livestock.
  • use straining posts atthat leastare 2.1m long, at least 125mm125 byx 125mm square or(or have a 125mm top diameterdiameter) and are at least 2.1m long
  • set the straining posts no more than150mthan 150m apart if using mild steel or no more than 600m  apartapart for high tensile wire
  • place a straining post at every change of direction (horizontal or vertical) and at each end of the fencefence, –with you must use suitable bracing required to achieve stability
  • use struts that are at least 75mm by 75mm squaresquare, or have at least a 75mm top diameterdiameter, and are at least 2.1m2.1 longlong. –You you can use a box strainer withwith, or instead ofof, a strut
  • mortise (cut) struts into the straining post at an angle of no more than 45 degreesdegrees. –Do do not secure by a nail alone
  • use intermediate posts that are at least 75mm75 byx 75mm square or(or have at least a 65mm top diameterdiameter) and are at least 1.65m long
  • set the intermediate posts 3mno ormore lessthan 3.5m apart for mild steelsteel, and at4.5 leastmetres 4.5m for high tensile steel – adjust these measurements according to the ground conditions

  When using metal fence posts, you must:

  • agreemake usingsure metalthat postsall withwork yourmeets Naturalthe Englandrelevant orBritish ForestryStandards Commission- advisersee ifcopies installingof onthe landmost inup-to-date astandards Countrysidefor Stewardship Higher Tier agreementguidance
  • remove

  You allcan old fencing material before putting up new fencing

• erect the steel wire fence to at least 1.05m when installed
• use strandsany type of galvanisedmetal 4mmpost, mildbut plainthey steelmust wirebe orsuitable afor minimumthe ofsite 2.5mmand diameterbe highdurable tensilefor wire5 oryears barbedfrom wire
• usethe additionalstart strands of galvanisedyour steelagreement.

  For wiremetal ifposts you need extra height

must:
• use straining posts which are at least 2.4m in length
• place a straining post at every change of direction (horizontal or vertical) and at each end of the fence – you can
• use suitableintermediate bracingposts toat achieveleast stability1.65m long
• struts should be at least 1.8m2.1m long long
• attach andstruts attached to posts using a suitable connector
• useerect intermediatea postsfence at least 1.65m1.05 long

Youm canhigh installwhen theinstalled. metalUse postsstrands accordingof togalvanised the4 manufacturer’smm installationmild recommendation.

Yousteel canplain useor any2.5 typemm barbed wire. The use of metalhigh post,tensile butwire theyis mustalso be:

• suitablepermitted forat thea site
• durableminimum forof 52.5mm yearsdiameter. fromUse thesufficient startstrands ofto yourcontrol agreementthe livestock.

You mustcan install the metal posts according to the installation recommendation of the manufacturer.

Do not:

• attach the fence to trees or hedgerows
• block or restrict access to open access land
• hard staple the wire to intermediate posts. The wire should be a running fit so it can move, contract and expand in different temperatures.temperatures

If you have an existing agreement, you must continue to follow the specifications in that agreement.

EvidenceKeeping you must keep records

You must keep photographs of the completedfollowing workrecords and providesupply them with your claim.payment claim:

• photographs of the completed work

You must also keep the following records and supply them on request:

• any consents or permissions connected with the work
• receipted invoicesinvoices, or bank statements where a receipted invoice is unavailable
• photographs of the existing site before work starts

ReadPlease see the record keeping and siteinspection visit requirements as set out in the Agreementrelevant holder’sMid guide:Tier, Higher Tier or Capital Grants,Grants Higherguidance Tierfor capitalmore grantsdetail. andYou Protectioncan andfind Infrastructurethe grantslatest forguidance moreat information.

ItemsCountryside Stewardship: get funding to protect and supplementsimprove the land you canmanage.

Related useMid withTier thisand item

Capital Grants items

You can use this item withon thesethe items:same length as the following supplement:

FG15:Water

• FG4 gates- Rabbit fencing supplement

Biodiversity

FY6:This Restoreitem coppicinghas been identified as being beneficial for biodiversity. All Countryside Stewardship habitat creation, restoration and management options are of great significance for biodiversity recovery, as are the wide range of arable options in woodland 

Supplements

Youthe scheme. Capital items and supplements can usesupport this itemhabitat withwork FG4:depending Rabbiton fencingthe supplement.holding’s situation and potential.

Advice

The toconnectivity helpof youhabitats useis thisalso item

Thevery followingimportant adviceand mayhabitat helpoptions youshould tobe uselinked thiswherever item,possible. butBetter youconnectivity dowill notallow havewildlife to followmove/colonise itfreely to getaccess paid.water, It’sfood, notshelter partand breeding habitat, and will allow natural communities of thisboth item’sanimals requirements.   and plants to adapt in response to environmental and climate change.

British

Further standards

information

CheckRead Countryside Stewardship: get funding to makeprotect sureand improve the workland meetsyou relevantmanage Britishto Standards.find out more information about Mid Tier, Higher Tier and Capital Grants including how to apply.