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FG15

FG15: Water gates

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£532.80

per gate · one-off

info Summary

This Capital Grant item, FG15: Water gates, provides funding to install gates across rivers or streams to prevent livestock access, thereby protecting water quality, improving biodiversity, and maintaining bankside vegetation.

format_list_bulleted What to do

  • Fit a framed wooden gate across the river or stream that fits the profile and matches the adjacent fence height.
  • Ensure timber is fully peeled and tanalised or treated with an approved preservative.
  • The gate must be able to float up and down with water levels.
  • Install an approach fence (post-and-rail or fixed netting) separate from the main fence line.
  • The gate must consist of either wooden droppers on a wire cable or a round wooden rail suspended horizontally.
  • Droppers must be at least 50mm square, made from sawn untreated timber, threaded onto cable/rail, and separated by at least 150mm plastic pipe.
  • For stream gullies over 1.5m deep, gates can be in sections with 70mm square untreated timber droppers hung on round wooden poles.

checklist How to do and evidence required

  • You must keep and provide with your claim:

  • * photographs of the completed work
  • * any consents and permissions from the Environment Agency

  • You must also keep and provide on request:

  • * any consents or permissions connected with the work (in addition to the ones stated above)
  • * receipted invoices or bank statements where a receipted invoice is unavailable
  • * photographs of the existing site before work starts

  • Read the record keeping and site visit requirements in the Agreement holder’s guide: Capital Grants, Higher Tier capital grants and Protection and Infrastructure grants for more information.

  • If you’re applying for this item as part of a Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT) application, you must read the record keeping and site visit requirements in the CSHT agreement holder’s guide.

tips_and_updates Additional Advice

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Access detailed information about this action on the RPA website

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info Additional Information

FG15: Water gates

This item is part of Capital Grants 2025. You must read the Capital Grants 2025 guidance to understand the rules and how to apply.

If you’re applying for this item as part of a Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT) application, you must read the CSHT applicant’s guide to understand the rules and how to apply.

How much you’ll be paid

£532.80 per gate.

How this item benefits the environment

Preventing livestock from entering watercourse channels and stopping livestock from trampling waterside banks leaves bankside vegetation lush and unbroken by livestock paths.

This item can help you protect, recover and improve biodiversity on your land.

Where you can use this item

You can use this item either:

  • in areas targeted for the reduction of water pollution caused by farming
  • on fence lines across streams alongside other stock control items
  • as part of a Woodland Tree Health grant

What you must do to use this item

You must fit a gate across the river or stream. Make sure the gate:

  • is framed and made of wood
  • fits the profile of the river or stream
  • matches the height of the fence next to it
  • uses timber that’s fully peeled and tanalised or treated with an approved preservative
  • can float up and down as the water levels rise and fall
  • has an approach fence that’s either post-and-rail or fixed netting
  • is separate (along with the approach fencing) from the main fence line

You must also make sure the gate consists of either a:

  • series of wooden droppers attached to a length of wire cable
  • round wooden rail suspended horizontally between straining posts

The droppers must be:

  • at least 50 millimetres (mm) square in cross section
  • made from sawn and untreated timber that has been drilled and then threaded on to the cable or rail
  • separated by at least 150mm lengths of plastic pipe

If the stream gully is more than 1.5 metres (m) deep, you can construct the gate in several sections. The droppers must be:

  • made of untreated timber
  • at least 70mm square
  • hung on round wooden poles using loops of fencing wire

Evidence you must keep

You must keep and provide with your claim:

  • photographs of the completed work
  • any consents and permissions from the Environment Agency

You must also keep and provide on request:

  • any consents or permissions connected with the work (in addition to the ones stated above)
  • receipted invoices or bank statements where a receipted invoice is unavailable
  • photographs of the existing site before work starts

Read the record keeping and site visit requirements in the Agreement holder’s guide: Capital Grants, Higher Tier capital grants and Protection and Infrastructure grants for more information.

If you’re applying for this item as part of a Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT) application, you must read the record keeping and site visit requirements in the CSHT agreement holder’s guide.

Other capital items you can use with this item

You can use this item with these items:

BN7: Hedgerow gapping-up

BN12: Stone wall restoration

BN13: Top wiring – stone walls

BN14: Stone wall supplement – stone from quarry

FG1: Fencing

FG2: Sheep netting

FG9: Deer fencing

RP5: Cross drains

Advice to help you use this item

The following advice may help you to use this item, but you do not have to follow it to get paid. It’s not part of this item’s requirements.

How to get an environmental permit

You may need an environmental permit (formerly flood defence consent) to use this item near a watercourse or within 10m of the top of a riverbank (this varies with some local byelaws).

The Environment Agency issue environmental permits for main rivers. You do not need flood risk permits to work on ‘ordinary watercourses’ – usually small rivers, streams and ditches. Contact your lead local flood authority or internal drainage board to check if you need land drainage consent on all other watercourses.

If you think you need an environmental permit, contact the Environment Agency for advice.

British Standards

Check to make sure the work meets relevant British Standards.

Questions about FG15?

Ask Tom anything about this subsidy, eligibility, evidence requirements, or compatibility with other actions.