SB4: Chemical bracken control

This item is part of Higher Tier Capital Grants 2025. You must read the Higher Tier 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

£270.90 per hectare (ha).

How this item benefits the environment

Managing bracken can:

• restore or maintain high value natural habitats and the wildlife that live there

• protect archaeological features

• help maintain or enhance the landscape’s character

Where you can use this item

You’ll need to get permission from Natural England (or the Forestry Commission for woodland) before using this item.

If you’re using this item near water, you’ll need consent from the Environment Agency before you use it.

You can only use it to manage bracken alongside management actions or options on habitats such as:

• dry grassland
• woodland (including the creation and maintenance of new woodland)
• sand dunes
• moorland
• lowland heathland

Use chemical bracken control on small areas and in limited circumstances. You’ll agree where and when you use it with your adviser. This may include some historic sites where mechanical management may cause damage.

You can use SB5: Mechanical bracken control instead of chemical bracken control in most circumstances.

What you must do to use this item

You’ll need to agree with Natural England or the Forestry Commission the work you’ll carry out based on a habitat management plan. This plan must include Integrated Pest Management (IPM) principles.

Your adviser will adapt the requirements for this item to your site. You should discuss and agree these requirements with them.

Evidence you must keep

You must keep photographs of the completed works and provide with your claim.

You must keep and provide on request:

• any consents or permissions connected with the work
• receipted invoices or bank statements where a receipted invoice is unavailable
• copies of the implementation plan or feasibility study (if applicable)

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, read the record keeping and site visit requirements in the CSHT agreement holder’s guide.

Items and actions you can use with this item

You can use this item with these capital plans:

PA1: Implementation plan

PA2: Feasibility study

You can use with Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier actions, usually:

CLH1: Manage lowland heathland

CLH2: Restore lowland heathland

CLH3: Create lowland heathland

CWD1: Woodland creation maintenance

CWD2 Woodland improvement

CUP2: Manage rough grazing for birds

CUP3: General moorland management

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.

Managing bracken

Natural England or the Forestry Commission will help you choose the best method of bracken management.

Requirements on larger sites

You’ll need an implementation plan and feasibility study approved by Natural England or a feasibility study on larger sites (particularly where major habitat restoration is involved). This will include:

• the areas you’ll manage
• the methods of management you’ll use
• any follow up techniques to manage re-growth
• any risks to sites of archaeological or ecological importance, soil erosion risks or effects on the landscape (short and long term)

The plan must include:

• sustainable land use
• how it’s appropriate to the area
• soil type
• topography (the shape and features of the land)
• climate
• hydrology (water storage and movement)
• ecological and historic designations
• priority species
• what habitats are already in the area

Requirements for small sites

You may only need a simple plan for a smaller site. It should include a map showing areas you’ll treat and your planned schedule for managing the site. It’ll need to include enough information for Natural England (or Forestry Commission for woodland) to agree any works. You may not need an implementation plan or feasibility study on these sites.

Environmental concerns

You should make sure that bracken management has a minimal negative effect on other environmental interests on the site. You should follow the UK best practice guidance.

Chemicals to manage bracken may damage other plants within the habitat and may harm water quality.

All pesticide applications must follow the law and relevant codes of practice.

Make sure any relevant consents are in place before carrying out the work. This includes consent from the Environment Agency to spray near a watercourse.

If any areas are missed, they’ll need spraying during the following year.

What to do if the site regenerates

You can reduce the likelihood of bracken regenerating by combining with appropriate grazing. This is because livestock trampling helps control bracken. As the site regenerates, you may need to manage any bracken regrowth or weeds such as nettle, thistle, dock or ragwort by weed wiping. An Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach should reduce and ideally remove the use of pesticides.