Rural Payments and Services

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The aim of this item is to improve water quality by creating a strategically placed sediment trap and / or bund to intercept run-off that currently discharges direct to a watercourse or freshwater drain.

Any land is eligible, provided that it meets all of the requirements set out below.

You must combine this item with:

• Stock Fence

Where a sediment trap is to be created to accept run-off from a steading, you must combine this item with at least one of the following associated capital items (except where the sediment trap only accepts roof run-off or is located on an intensive pig or poultry unit):

• Rural Sustainable Drainage Systems – Swales or
• Rural Sustainable Drainage Systems – Retention Pond

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

You must prepare a plan which must include a map of the relevant fields / steading identifying the location of the rural sustainable drainage system feature.

For rural sustainable drainage system features accepting run-off from a steading, the plan must include a calculation of the size of the rural sustainable drainage system feature(s) including the amount of runoff draining to it (treatment volume).

You must also produce a diffuse pollution steading assessment.

• bund height must be less than 1.3 metres, unless designed by a qualified engineer
• fencing must be provided to protect people and livestock.
• only run-off which does not fall within the definition of slurry may be conveyed to a sediment trap / bund *
• run-off from pesticide handling or washdown areas must not be conveyed to a sediment trap / bund
• where a rural sustainable drainage system pond or wetland is being used in conjunction with the sediment trap, the pond or wetland must be located downstream of the sediment trap

* Unless the run-off is being conveyed to a constructed farm wetland designed in accordance with the Constructed Farm Wetland Design Manual – Scottish Environment Protection Agency / Northern Ireland Environment Agency – 2008.

You can claim:

• excavate and form sediment trap – £10.50 per square metre
• create bund – £7.20 per linear metre

The inspectors will check:

• the location and extent of the sediment trap
• the length of the newly created bund
• bund height is less than 1.3 metres, unless designed by a qualified engineer
• fencing is provided to protect people and livestock
• only run-off which does not fall within the definition of slurry is conveyed to a sediment trap / bund *
• run-off from pesticide handling or wash-down areas is not conveyed to a sediment trap / bund

* Unless the run-off is being conveyed to a constructed farm wetland designed in accordance with the Constructed Farm Wetland Design Manual – Scottish Environment Protection Agency / Northern Ireland Environment Agency – 2008.

Supporting guidance is available for this item.

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