Rural Payments and Services

Date published: 30 March, 2015

The aim of this item is to benefit valuable insects, such as beetles, spiders and bumblebees, by providing a suitable grassy area for them to overwinter within arable fields.

Providing this important habitat will support populations of beneficial beetles and other insects which in turn will help control crop pests or aid pollination.

Beetlebanks will also benefit other wildlife by providing food and cover for birds, small mammals and flowers for pollinating insects.

Suitably located, they can also intercept rain water and help prevent soil erosion.

Land that is in an arable rotation is eligible.

You should not include areas of land covering rocks, scree, water, dense bracken etc. We will check this using the same approach we use to check land for the Basic Payment Scheme.

Assessing your land eligibility

You must combine this capital item with the Beetlebanks management option.

You must identify on a map the locations of all proposed new beetlebanks.

• you must create a beetlebank at least two metres wide and at least 0.4 metres high as detailed in the guidance
• the beetlebank must be located within the field at least 100 metres, and no more than 200 metres, from the nearest field margin running along its length
• you must not leave more than 25 metres working gap at the end of each bank
• you must sow a grass sward on the beetlebank. The mix must include at least one tussocky grass species such as timothy or cocksfoot, and at least one flowering species such as knapweed or yarrow
• you must establish the sward before 1 June in the first year of your contract
• you must maintain a diary

You can claim £302.28 per hectare.

The payment is calculated by the length of the beetlebank, multiplied by two metres.

The inspector will check:

• you have created a beetlebank at least two metres wide and at least 0.4 metres high
• the beetlebank has been located within the field at least 100 metres, and no more than 200 metres, from the nearest field margin running along its length
• you have not left more than 25 metres working gap at the end of each bank
• you have sown a grass sward on the beetlebank. There may be an invoice check to ensure the correct grass sward mixture has been sown
• you have established the sward before 1 June in the first year of your contract
• you have maintained a diary

Supporting guidance is available for this item.

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