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Changes to Entry Level Scheme
Jan 9, 2008
The most irksome change to the Entry Level Scheme is that management plans have been removed. Everyone who has applied since 1-2-07 will need to reapply without management plan options, finding the lost points from other options.
Meanwhile, anyone considering applying is being told to wait until the changes have been made part of new application packs.
Anyone who wants to withdraw from the scheme (providing they have applied since 1-2-07) can do so if they are below the points threshold and do not wish to use other options to make up the shortfall. They will not be required to repay any money received.
A further change is that anyone who signed after 1-2-07, and all those who sign in the future, if they are in an NVZ area, will have to apply the following: a whole farm manure nitrogen loading limit; a crop nitrogen requirement limit; restricted spreading techniques
; and record keeping.
A useful Q&A on these matters can be found at: http://www.defra.gov.uk/erdp/rdp07_13/sectf.htm
The good news is that the amount of money available for the ERDP has been increased from £1 billion to £3 billion, so hopefully the higher Level Scheme will become better funded and capital works payments may once again become available to farmers under the HLS.
Full details of the ERDP news is available at:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/erdp/rdp07_13/qa.htm
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