With just over two months to go before Severn Trent’s Environmental Protection Scheme (STEPS) closes, farmers and landowners are being encouraged to apply for grants of up to £30,000 for farm improvements that will help reduce water quality issues.

The scheme, which closes on 31 January 2023, has seen a reduction in the value of applications this year, despite Severn Trent increasing the funding available on key items in priority catchments, largely due to the ongoing financial challenges farmers are being faced with.

Dr Alex Cooke, principal catchment scientist at Severn Trent says farmers and landowners are being offered financial and technical support to invest in solutions that will reduce water pollution and protect the environment while supporting farm productivity.

“For eligible recipients, funding has doubled from £5,000 up to £10,000 across the board. But in catchments where pesticide reduction is a priority, farmers can now apply for up to £30,000 for washdown and disposal areas, and there is also up to 75% funding for watercourse fencing,” says Dr Cooke.

Severn Trent has identified three key concerns in its priority catchments and is urging farmers to pursue funded options that prevent pesticide, nitrates or cryptosporidium reaching watercourses.

“The match funding is available to both arable and livestock farmers, for a wide range of infrastructure and land management improvements,” she says.

“For example, we’ve seen the grants being put towards building pesticide washdown areas, covering livestock handling systems, planting cover crops and installing livestock fencing,” explains Dr Cooke.

“We hope that this added flexibility will encourage more famers to work with us and apply for grants before 31 January 2023.”

To find out more about STEPS funding, contact your local Severn Trent agricultural adviser or visit: www.STwater.com/STEPS 

Enhanced STEPS offering

The 2022 STEPS offering provides additional financial support to producers who want to enhance productivity while improving water quality. The key changes for the 2022 scheme include:

• Pesticide catchments –
  • 50% funding up to £20,000 is available on sprayer washdown areas, on the basis they are built in under six months, with an additional 25% funding available, up to £30,000. This option is for new applicants only, however farmers already with a sprayer washdown area, can apply for free rainwater harvesting kit
• Nitrate catchments –
  • Arable margins and cover crop payments are now the same as Countryside Stewardship
  • 50% funding up to £10,000 for innovation options such as direct drilling cover crops now available
• Cryptosporidium catchments –
  • Watercourse fencing is now being offered at 75% of the cost, and full payment is on offer for ‘complementary items’ providing new access to water e.g. drinking troughs