Rural Payments and Services

The aim of this item is to support black grouse and capercaillie by marking new or existing deer fences to reduce risk of bird collisions within core black grouse and capercaillie areas.

Any land within black grouse and capercaillie core areas with new or existing deer fencing is eligible.

You must prepare and submit for approval a plan detailing your fence marking proposals.

The plan must also show the location of the proposed fence(s) to be marked, and the location of the nearest lek site, on a 1:10,000 map.

• you must mark your fence with chestnut paling, softwood droppers, softwood pales, bamboo or orange plastic 'snow fence' netting
• when modifying an existing fence, you must ensure that the fence line is capable of taking the extra strain, has an appropriate top wire and has struts in appropriate positions. All fencing woodwork should be treated
• the distance from a lek site, and the exposure of the site, will determine the recommended marker spacing
• you must maintain a diary

The specification of the fence marking must be one of the following:

Bamboo or plastic netting

• orange plastic 'snow fence' netting: UV-stable, 1.2 metres wide
• UV stable orange netting, one or two strip(s) of, 600 or 300 millimetres wide
• 0.9–1.2 metre bamboo diagonal at 300 millimetres apart*
• 0.9–1.2 metre bamboo diagonal at 600 millimetres apart* and anti-bird strike flaps at three per metre minimum
  (*use short runs of closer marking or 1.8 metre material instead of 0.9 metre for locations suspected to suffer more bird strikes, e.g. sections of fences across the end of rides or sections of fences running through high quality habitat patches)

Wooden droppers / paling

• individual pales 0.9 or 1.8 metres of chestnut / sawn softwood at 150 millimetre centres if vertical or 1.2 or 1.8 metre pales at 500 millimetres apart at both ends if diagonal
• rolls of 0.9 or 1.8 metre chestnut / sawn timber at 150 millimetre centres
• rolls of 0.9 or 1.8 metre chestnut / sawn softwood pales at 300 millimetre centres
• individual pales 0.9 or 1.8 metre chestnut / sawn softwood at 300 millimetres, if vertical. Individual 1.2 or 1.8 metre pales with pales at one metre apart at both ends if diagonal
• any softwood timber must be treated
• the top of the paling or droppers must reach the top of fence – no line wires should remain above the paling or droppers

You can claim:

• £2.50 per metre for bamboo or plastic netting
• £6.45 per metre for wooden droppers / paling

You may apply for payment on an actual cost basis for this item if the work you are proposing to carry out will benefit the notified features of a designated site, and where there are exceptional circumstances.

The inspectors will check:

• the location and extent of the work
• you have marked your fence with chestnut paling, softwood droppers, softwood pales, bamboo or orange plastic 'snow fence' netting
• when modifying an existing fence, you have ensured that the fence line is capable of taking the extra strain, has an appropriate top wire and has struts in appropriate positions. All fencing woodwork should be treated
• the distance from a lek site, and the exposure of the site, will determine the recommended marker spacing
• you have maintained a diary

The specification of the fence marking is one of the following:

Bamboo or plastic netting

• orange plastic 'snow fence' netting: UV-stable, 1.2 metres wide
• UV stable orange netting, one or two strip(s) of, 600 or 300 millimetres wide
• 0.9–1.2 metre bamboo diagonal at 300 millimetres apart*
• 0.9–1.2 metre bamboo diagonal at 600 millimetres apart* and anti-bird strike flaps at three per
  metre minimum
  (*use short runs of closer marking or 1.8 metre material instead of 0.9 metre for locations suspected to suffer more bird strikes, e.g. sections of fences across the end of rides or sections of fences running through high quality habitat patches)

Wooden droppers / paling

• individual pales 0.9 or 1.8 metres of chestnut / sawn softwood at 150 millimetre centres if vertical or 1.2 or 1.8 metre pales at 500 millimetres apart at both ends if diagonal
• rolls of 0.9 or 1.8 metre chestnut / sawn timber at 150 millimetre centres
• rolls of 0.9 or 1.8 metre chestnut / sawn softwood pales at 300 millimetre centres
• individual pales 0.9 or 1.8 metre chestnut / sawn softwood at 300 millimetres, if vertical. Individual 1.2 or 1.8 metre pales with pales at one metre apart at both ends if diagonal
• any softwood timber must be treated
• the top of the paling or droppers must reach the top of fence – no line wires should remain above the paling or dropper

Supporting guidance is available for this item.

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