FEP Preparation

Farm Environment Plans are needed as part of Higher Level Stewardship applications. Once Natural England has given written permission for an HLS application to be made the first step is to commission a FEP. FEPs provide Natural England with an ecological and archaeological overview of the farm holding which is the basis for all HLS applications. Natural England provides funding for the production of FEPS.

Oakbank have a full time ecologist, Diane Armitage, who specialises in making up Farm Environment Plans. We have worked in many different parts of the country and have been fortunate to meet many excellent Natural England advisors.  Land owners should have no concerns about working with these advisors as there is no compulsion to enter the scheme and they are as keen as you to have a project that you can both live with and be successful from both a business and environmental point of view.  Natural England have been tasked with making the HLS Agreements very targeted and focussed on results, but this doesn’t mean that there are not excellent opportunities still out there particularly if you are coming out of a CSS or ESA agreement.

If you need a FEP then please don’t hesitate to call us for an informal discussion to see how we can help to move your project forward.