About the scheme
Wessex Water is working with farmers in sub-catchments of the River Stour to reduce phosphorus (P) runoff from farmyards, tracks and fields by three tonnes per year by 2025.
This P offsetting initiative forms part of a wider programme of water company investment where P removal is being installed at our water recycling centres (sewage treatment works) across the catchment.
This programme has already resulted in approximately six tonnes less P entering the River Stour each year and by 2025 around a further 190 tonnes will have been removed in this way. Please see examples of this type of investment in the River Stour catchment.
In rural catchments such as the Stour, wastewater treatment is only one source of P to the river, with agriculture being the other main contributor. By working with farmers to reduce P loadings from agriculture, the overall improvement in river water quality will be greater than if only P loadings from wastewater treatment are reduced.
What funding is on offer?
The River Stour Phosphorus Reduction Scheme launched in 2022 and includes a grant scheme offering financial support and advice to farmers for adopting practices that reduce P inputs, prevent soil erosion and buffer watercourses from P pollution.
A range of measures that reduce P loss to water are available for grant funding. Payment rates and measure specifications are as follows:
What habitat creation funding is on offer?
Expressions of interest are also encouraged in creating runoff ponds, sediment traps and constructed wetlands to treat field runoff and ditch/drain flow, cross-slope hedgerow creation and riparian tree planting.
For enquiries regarding these types of measures, please contact the project team.
How does this funding work with other land management payment schemes?
Double-funding with other Government or private sector land-management schemes (e.g. Countryside Stewardship Mid-tier, nutrient neutrality, Biodiversity Net Gain and Sustainable Farming Incentive) is not permitted.
Please contact the project team with any queries regarding what is considered double-funding as eligibility for the Wessex Water scheme will depend on what sort of land management changes the other funding scheme requires.
How are applications approved?
Applications will be scored and funding will be awarded based on a range of criteria, including:
- the predicted amount of P prevented from entering watercourses by the implementation of the measure (per application and unit area/metre)
- the likelihood of the applicant meeting scheme requirements (as set out on this project website and in the example project agreement below)
- the location of the measure in relation to specific water recycling centres in the scheme area.
Annual funding limits per farm business for each type of measure are:
Watercourse fencing to exclude livestock: 750m / £7,500 per farm business per year*
Cover crops after combinable crops/maize: £17,500 of total cover crops per farm business per year*
Arable reversion: 30ha per farm business per year*
Watercourse buffer strips: 3ha / £7,500 per farm business per year*
Grassland subsoiling: 67ha / £5,000 per farm business per year*
Cross-slope hedgerow creation: 250m / £5,000 per farm business per year*
Undersowing grass: £20,000 per farm business, per year*
Tree planting: £10,000 per farm business per year*
Other capital grants: £20,000 per farm business per year*
*Applications for amounts greater than the above limits will be considered in certain situations where the environmental benefits (in terms of reduced P loading to watercourses) can justify the additional expenditure.
In the event of high demand for funding for certain types of measures, further limits may be placed on the amount of funding awarded per farm and funding may be awarded on a first-come-first-served basis.
Please note that the River Stour Phosphorus Reduction Scheme has a fixed annual budget and Wessex Water reserves the right to decline applications.
For more information and advice on the likelihood of your application being successful, please contact the project team at the earliest opportunity to avoid disappointment.
What are the eligible areas for funding?
This map below shows the eligible areas for the following types of measures (list A):
- cover crops after combinable crops and maize
- undersowing grass into maize
- arable reversion
- watercourse buffer strips
- cross-slope hedgerow creation
- riparian tree planting
- watercourse fencing to exclude livestock
- runoff ponds, sediment traps and constructed farm wetlands to treat field runoff.
This map below shows the eligible areas for the following types of measures (list B):
- watercourse fencing
- grassland subsoiling
- runoff ponds, sediment traps, in ditch features and constructed farm wetlands to treat field runoff.
If more than 50% of an individual field is within the eligible area it is likely to be eligible for funding.
Please contact the project team with any eligibility queries.
What is the application process?
The application process is as follows:
- Check that your measure location is located within the eligible area for that type of measure.
- Read the measure specifications to find out what is required and what the terms and conditions are.
- Contact the project team with any queries or to request an advice visit.
- Fill out our Word document application form or PDF document application form and send it to the project team.
- Applications will be processed, and applicants will be informed of the outcome.
- Successful applicants will be emailed a project agreement which will need to be signed and returned to the project team.
What happens if the application is successful?
Successful applicants will need to:
- Implement the measure by the date shown in the measure specification and stated in the project agreement.
- Provide the project team with the farm information needed to calculate the reduction in P loss achieved by the implementation of the measure by the date stated in the project agreement.
- Send the project team evidence of implementation by the date stated in the project agreement.
- Send the project team an invoice for the sum stated in the project agreement by 31 January (and annually thereafter for multi-year agreements) – VAT should be added to invoices.
Our standard company payment terms are end of the month of invoice plus 30 days. For example, an invoice dated in January will be paid at the end of February.
A member of the project team may arrange an appointment (with reasonable notice) to visit the farm to view the measure.
Please note that you will be required to complete a Wessex Water supplier application form to receive payment.
What are the project agreements?
General terms and conditions will be the same for each project, but project-specific conditions will be as per the specifications above.
You can download this example of a project agreement.
General terms and conditions will be the same for each project, but project-specific conditions will be as per the specifications above.
As part of the project agreement, you will be required to sign a declaration that the fields covered by the agreement have not been the source of a pollution incident in the past five years and that they are being farmed in a way which is compliant with relevant legislation, including Nitrate Vulnerable Zone rules, Farming Rules for Water and SSAFO rules (Storage of Slurry, Silage and Agricultural Fuel Oils):
- to support and inform the above declaration, it is expected that successful applicants will complete the Environment Agency’s Agricultural Compliance Tool (ACT), address any actions identified and submit a copy of the completed ACT to Wessex Water (who will hold it in confidence)
- for longer term (>5 years of payments) and higher-value agreements (>£5000 total annual payments), agreement holders are required to complete the ACT annually for the duration of the agreement, address any actions identified and submit a copy of the completed ACT to Wessex Water (who will hold it in confidence).
Please contact the project team if you require assistance in completing the ACT.
Additional resources
Read the Environment Agency's pollution prevention rules for farmers for help complying with the law and reducing the risk of pollution.
South Somerset is home to an isolated population of Shrill Carder bumblebees, however declining numbers have called for a project to engage with stakeholders, including farmers and landowners, in the area.
The Bumblebee Conservation Trust’s ‘S.O.S (Save Our Shrills): Somerset’ project provides advice on how to help secure future populations of Shrills and other rare bumblebees.
How to contact the project team
For more information on any of the measure options, or to request an advice visit, please email our River Stour Phosphorus Reduction Scheme project team at riverstourphos@wessexwater.co.uk.
You can also contact the project team by post. Any post should be addressed to:
River Stour Phosphorus Reduction Scheme
Wessex Water
The Admiralty
Mill Street
Corfe Mullen
Dorset
BH21 3RQ
Please note, that project specifications and application forms may be subject to changes without prior notice. To ensure the latest version please contact us.
