Rural Payments and Services

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The aim of this item is to improve water-use efficiency by collecting and storing water in an irrigation lagoon. This will also help to protect water quality at times of low water availability due to low river flows.

The land must be within a catchment which drains to water bodies that are significantly impacted because of abstraction for agriculture.

You can check if this item is available on your holding here.

You must produce a diffuse pollution steading assessment.

• if an abstraction from the water environment is required to fill the lagoon then an authorisation will be required from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency
• the lagoon must be off-line (i.e. there should be no impounding works which hold back flows in wetlands, rivers, lochs and estuaries)
• you must obtain planning permission, or have confirmation that planning permission is not required for your proposed lagoon
• where a proprietary lining is used, a receipt for the liner will be required

Irrigation lagoon

The maximum payment for this option is restricted to £30,000 per business:

• £2.24 per cubic metre without a proprietary liner
• £6.25 per cubic metre with a proprietary liner

Collection of run-off from farm steading roofs:

• underground drainage – £35.46 linear metre

The inspectors will check:

• the location and extent of any irrigation lagoon
• that you have a receipt for a proprietary liner
• the length in metres of drainage to the lagoon
• the lagoon is offline and there are no impounding works which hold back flows in wetlands, rivers, lochs and estuaries

Supporting guidance is available for this item.

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