SP5: Shepherding supplement - GOV.UK

How much will be paid

£10 per hectare (ha)

Where to use this supplement

It is available for Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier on part-parcels on land where shepherding needs to be introduced, reintroduced or where significant changes to current practices are needed.

You must combine it with one of the following options:

• CT1 - Management of coastal sand dunes and vegetated shingle
• CT2 - Creation of coastal sand dunes and vegetated shingle on arable land and improved grassland
• GS6 - Management of species-rich grassland
• GS7 - Restoration towards species-rich grassland
• GS8 - Creation of species-rich grassland
• GS9 - Management of wet grassland for breeding waders
• GS10 - Management of wet grassland for wintering waders and wildfowl
• GS11 - Creation of wet grassland for breeding waders
• GS12 - Creation of wet grassland for wintering waders and wildfowl
• GS13 - Management of grassland for target features
• GS14 - Creation of grassland for target features
• LH1 - Management of lowland heathland
• LH2 - Restoration of forestry and woodland to lowland heathland
• LH3 - Creation of heathland from arable or improved grassland
• UP2 - Management of rough grazing for birds
• UP3 - Management of moorland
• WT6 - Management of reedbed
• WT7 - Creation of reedbed
• WT8 - Management of fen
• WT9 - Creation of fen
• WT10 - Management of lowland raised bog

How this supplement will benefit the environment

If successful there will be:

• improvements in the quality of vegetation
• overgrazing reduced in some areas and increased in others
• better habitats for birds, mammals and insects
• less damage to archaeological features and vulnerable soils and less poaching (trampling)
• more suitable conditions for threatened species to thrive
• improved visibility of historic and archaeological features

Requirements

You must:

• keep records of shepherding or herding activities on the agreed area

Keeping records

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

• record of shepherding activity
• photographs of the management undertaken

Related supplements

You can locate this item on the same area as the following supplements:

• GS15 – Haymaking supplement
• GS16 – Rush infestation control supplement
• GS17 – Lenient grazing supplement
• SP2 - Raised water level supplement
• SP3 – Bracken control supplement
• SP4 – Control of invasive plant species supplement
• SP6 - Cattle grazing supplement
• SP7 - Introduction of cattle grazing on the Isles of Scilly
• SP8 - Native breeds at risk supplement
• SP9 - Threatened species supplement
• UP4 – Management of moorland vegetation supplement
• UP5 – Moorland re-wetting supplement
• UP6 – Upland livestock exclusion supplement
• WT12 – Wetland grazing supplement

Advice and suggestions for how to carry out this supplement

The following advice is helpful, but they are not requirements for this item.

Pick the right location

Only use this supplement in areas where you have agreed with Natural England that shepherding is needed to help improve the option land.

Use mineral licks or supplementary feed in agreed locations to help with stock management

Do not use this supplement where:

• boundaries are not proofed against livestock and they cannot be controlled effectively
• there is little or no shepherding available in the area
• the site is not grazed
• there is already a local practice, custom or regulation in place for shepherding

Biodiversity

This supplement has 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 the scheme. Capital items and supplements can support this habitat work depending on the holding’s situation and potential.

The connectivity of habitats is also very important and habitat options should be linked wherever possible. Better connectivity will allow wildlife to move/colonise freely to access water, food, shelter and breeding habitat, and will allow natural communities of both animals and plants to adapt in response to environmental and climate change.

Further information

Read Countryside Stewardship: get funding to protect and improve the land you manage to find out more information about Higher Tier including how to apply.

Updates to this page

Published 2 April 2015 Last updated 4 January 2024 + show all updates

1. 18 December 2023

Update to How Much Is Paid

1. 8 February 2022

New payment rate from 1 January 2022.

1. 11 February 2020

The Keeping records section of this page has been updated

1. 8 March 2019

Updated keeping records section for evidence required with claim.

1. 8 March 2017

Updated for 2017 applications.

1. 29 March 2016

Information updated for applications in 2016.

1. 2 April 2015

First published.