Accessing Grants for Livestock Handling Facilities and Agricultural Projects

This entry was posted on Thursday, November 21st, 2024 at 2:35 pm

Sarah Hogg, partner at StephensonsRural, explores how grants for livestock handling facilities and other agricultural improvements can support farmers, especially those within Stewardship Agreements.

On a beautiful autumn day recently, we were delighted to be invited back to a project where we successfully secured 80% grant funding for a fully bespoke Livestock Handling and Loading Facility.

It was fantastic to see cattle being put through the recently completed facility, designed for 100 cattle and 500 sheep. This purpose-built facility includes a curved forcing pen, a 30-foot race, head scoop crush, shedding gates and a loading dock.

Located in a remote area at the edge of land within a Higher Tier Stewardship agreement, the facility is crucial to the success of grassland management, with complementary grazing of cattle and sheep. We made the case that safe handling facilities were necessary to support this essential work.

These grants are stand alone capital grants, but they are only available for land under Higher Tier, Mid Tier or Higher Level Stewardship Agreements. They may be of interest to those moving stock for cattle and/or sheep grazing on grassland within existing schemes.

In addition to livestock handling facilities, there are several other interesting items eligible for grant funding, including:

• Access Capital Items – Up to 100% of actual costs
• Major preparatory works for priority habitats (creation and restoration) and priority species – Up to 100% of actual costs
• Historic and archaeological feature protection – Up to 100% of actual costs
• Scrub control difficult sites – Up to 80% of actual costs
• Historic and archaeological feature protection- Up to 100% of actual costs

While these grants may not be as well-known as those for concrete, the actual costs element is particularly appealing given the current economic climate. With many Mid Tier and Higher Level Stewardship agreements set to end in the next few years, to be replaced by the Sustainable Farming Incentive, now is an excellent time to check your eligibility.

If you are interested in securing grant funding for livestock handling facilities or would like more information on agricultural improvements, please get in touch.

Sarah Hogg MRICS FAAV

sarah.hogg@stephenson.co.uk

01904 489 732