SB5: Mechanical 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

£190.90 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) based on a bracken management plan. This plan must include Integrated Pest Management (IPM) principles before using this item.

You can 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

What you must do to use this item

You’ll need to agree a specification for the work with Natural England (or the Forestry Commission for woodland).

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 work and provide with your claim.

You must also 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

Capital items

You can use this item with these capital plans:

PA1: Implementation plan

PA2: Feasibility study

Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier actions

You can use with these actions:

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 will help you choose the best method of bracken management.

Requirements on larger sites

You’ll need an implementation plan 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 treatments 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 (how the land’s shape and features affect the soil)
• 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 smaller, less complex sites. It should include a map showing areas you’ll treat and your planned schedule for managing the site. You may not need an implementation plan or feasibility study.

Environmental concerns

Make sure the planned bracken management has a minimal negative effect on other environmental interests on the site. You should follow Natural England’s bracken management and control guidelines.

Mechanical control may cause more disturbance to archaeological sites, ground nesting birds and invertebrates than chemical control. During the nesting season, make sure that birds are not nesting in the treated area.

Frequency of treatments

You should treat the site twice in year 1. Repeat this for at least 3 years, depending on the level of success achieved.

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 manage bracken. As the site regenerates, you may need to manage any bracken regrowth or weeds such as nettle, thistle, dock or ragwort. An IPM approach may reduce and potentially remove the use of pesticides.