River Tone, Parrett and Yeo Phosphorus Reduction Scheme

Project background

Wessex Water is working with farmers in sub-catchments of the Rivers Tone, Parrett and Yeo to reduce phosphorus (P) run-off from farmyards, tracks and fields by three tonnes per year by 2025.

This P offsetting initiative forms part of a wider programme of water company investment where P removal is being installed at our water recycling centres (sewage treatment works) across the catchment. Please see examples of this type of investment in west Somerset and the River Isle catchment.

By 2020 this programme had already resulted in approximately 85 tonnes less P entering the Rivers Tone, Parrett and Yeo each year and by 2025 around a further 60 tonnes will have been removed in this way.

In rural catchments such as these, wastewater treatment is only one source of P to the river, with agriculture being the other main contributor. By working with farmers to reduce P loadings from agriculture, the overall improvement in river water quality will be greater than if only P loadings from wastewater treatment are reduced.

River Tone, Parrett and Yeo Phosphorus Reduction Scheme flier

What funding is on offer?

The project launched in 2022 and includes a grant scheme offering financial support and advice to farmers for adopting practices that reduce P inputs, prevent soil erosion and buffer watercourses from P pollution. A range of measures that reduce P loss to water are available for grant funding.

Payment rates and measure specifications are as follows:

Watercourse fencing to exclude livestock

£10.00/m as a one-off payment. The replacement of existing fencing and fencing on very extensively managed grassland are not eligible. Additional payments may be available for taking intensive grassland out of production by erecting a fence further into the field. Funding contributions for installing access gates in new fences and alternative water supplies may also be available upon request. Please contact the project team for further information.

Tone Parrett watercourse fencing spec

Cover crops after combinable crops

£160/ha as a one off payment. A key requirement is to establish cover crop by 15 September.

Tone Parrett cover crops after combinable crops spec

Cover crops after maize and other late-harvested crops

£160/ha as a one off payment. A key requirement is to establish cover crop by 15 October.

Tone Parrett cover crops after maize spec

Undersowing grass into maize

£160/ha as a one off payment. A key requirement is to inter-row drill grass into maize by 10 July.

Tone Parrett undersowing grass into maize spec

Arable reversion to zero-input grass

£600/ha* per year for a 2½ to 4½ year agreement starting in either spring or autumn 2023. A key requirement is not to use any fertiliser or manure. No grazing is allowed, except light grazing by sheep overwinter if desired.

* Lower payment rates apply for free-draining soils (an adviser will confirm).

Tone Parrett arable reversion to zero input grass

Arable reversion to fertility building legume fallow

£600/ha* per year for a 2½ to 4½ year agreement starting in either spring or autumn 2023. Establish legume mix immediately after harvest, cutting regularly in the first year and at least once between 1 March and 15 May in years two and three. You can also include grasses, such as cocksfoot, perennial ryegrass or timothy, in a seed mix to help smother blackgrass and other competitive grass weeds. The key requirements are not to use any fertiliser or manure, or to cut or graze.

* Lower payment rates apply for free-draining soils (an adviser will confirm).

Tone Parrett arable reversion to legume fallow spec

Arable reversion to low/medium input grass

£500/ha* per year for a 2½ to 4½ year agreement starting in either spring or autumn 2023. Multiple cuts for hay/silage are permitted. A key requirement is not to use any P fertiliser or manure. Nitrogen (up to 100kgN/ha/yr) and potash fertiliser applications are permitted, however, no grazing is allowed, except light grazing by sheep over winter if desired.

* Lower payment rates apply for free-draining soils (an adviser will confirm).

Tone Parrett arable reversion to low-medium input grass spec

Arable reversion to herbal ley

£500/ha* per year for a 2½ to 4½ year agreement starting in either spring or autumn 2023. Summer grazing by cattle and sheep and multiple cuts for hay/silage are permitted. Limited manure applications are permitted. Do not apply any nitrogen fertiliser. P and potash fertiliser and lime applications are permitted, but only to maintain soil P&K indices of two. Only light grazing by sheep is permitted over winter.

* Lower payment rates apply for free-draining soils (an adviser will confirm).

Tone Parrett arable reversion to herbal ley spec

Establish new watercourse buffer strips on arable land

£2,500/ha per year (for the first 6 metres) for a 2½ to 5 year agreement starting in either spring or autumn 2023. The key requirements are not to use any fertiliser or manure. No grazing is allowed.

Tone Parrett buffer strips on arable land

Grassland subsoiling to loosen compacted soil

£75/ha as a one-off payment for using a low-disturbance grassland subsoiler to loosen compacted soil to a depth of 20cm to 35cm (8” to 13”). This should reduce surface runoff through improved water infiltration. Only use in fields where a Wessex Water catchment adviser has confirmed the presence and depth of sub-surface soil compaction by digging test holes.

Tone Parrett grassland subsoiling spec

Habitat creation options

Expressions of interest are also encouraged in creating runoff ponds, sediment traps and constructed wetlands to treat field runoff and ditch/drain flow, cross-slope hedgerow creation and riparian tree planting. These proposals will be eligible for capital grants that cover between 50% and 100% of the upfront capital design, establishment, and construction costs. For enquiries regarding these types of measures, please contact the project team.

Cross-slope Hedgerow Creation

£25/m as a one-off payment designed to be established in areas at risk of soil erosion.

Hedgerow Creation Project

Please note, details and specs for the pond/wetland creation and tree planting measures will be accessible soon. Please contact the project team if you have queries in the meantime.

Compatibility with other land management payment schemes

Double-funding with other Government or private sector land-management schemes (e.g. Countryside Stewardship Mid-tier, nutrient neutrality, Biodiversity Net Gain and similar actions in the 2023 Sustainable Farming Incentive) is not permitted, apart from the Basic Payment Scheme. Please contact the project team with any queries regarding what is considered double-funding as eligibility for the Wessex Water scheme will depend on what sort of land management changes the other funding scheme requires.

Funding limits and application scoring criteria

Applications will be scored and funding will be awarded based on a range of criteria, including:

• the predicted amount of P prevented from entering watercourses by the implementation of the measure (per application and unit area/metre)
• the likelihood of the applicant meeting scheme requirements (as set out on this project website and in the example project agreement below)
• the location of the measure in relation to specific water recycling centres in the scheme area.

Annual funding limits per farm business for each type of measure are:

Applications for amounts greater than the above limits will be considered in certain situations where the environmental benefits (in terms of reduced phosphorus loading to watercourses) can justify the additional expenditure.

In the event of high demand for funding for certain types of measures, further limits may be placed on the amount of funding awarded per farm and funding may be awarded on a first-come-first-served basis.

Please note that the River Tone, Parrett and Yeo Phosphorus Reduction Scheme has a fixed annual budget and Wessex Water reserves the right to decline applications.

For more information and advice on the likelihood of your application being successful, please contact the project team at the earliest opportunity to avoid disappointment.

Eligible areas

This map shows the eligible areas for the following types of measure:

• cover crops after combinable crops and maize
• undersowing grass into maize
• arable reversion
• watercourse buffer strips
• cross-slope hedgerow creation
• riparian tree planting
• watercourse fencing to exclude livestock
• runoff ponds, sediment traps and constructed farm wetlands to treat field runoff
• grassland subsoiling (on heavy soils only).

This map shows the eligible areas for the following types of measures:

• watercourse fencing
• runoff ponds, sediment traps and constructed farm wetlands to treat field runoff.

If more than 50% of an individual field is within the eligible area it is likely to be eligible for funding. Please contact the project team with any eligibility queries.

Application process

1. Check that your measure location is located within the eligible area for that type of measure.
2. Read the measure specifications to find out what is required and what the terms and conditions are.
3. Contact the project team with any queries or to request an advice visit.
4. Fill out our Word document application form or PDF document application form and send it to the project team.
5. Applications will be processed, and applicants will be informed of the outcome.
6. Successful applicants will be emailed a project agreement which will need to be signed and returned to the project team.

Measure implementation and payment process

Successful applicants will need to:

1. Implement the measure by the date shown in the measure specification and stated in the project agreement.
2. Provide the project team with the farm information needed to calculate the reduction in P loss achieved by the implementation of the measure by the date stated in the project agreement.
3. Send the project team evidence of implementation by the date stated in the project agreement.
4. Send the project team an invoice for the sum stated in the project agreement by 31 January (and annually thereafter for multi-year agreements) – VAT should be added to invoices.

Wessex Water standard company payment terms are end of the month of invoice plus 30 days. For example, an invoice dated in January will be paid at the end of February.

A member of the project team may arrange an appointment (with reasonable notice) to visit the farm to view the measure.

Please note that you will be required to complete a Wessex Water Supplier application form to receive payment.

Project agreements

You can download this example of a project agreement.

General terms and conditions will be the same for each project, but project-specific conditions will be as per the specifications above.

As part of the project agreement, you will be required to sign a declaration that the fields covered by the agreement have not been the source of a pollution incident in the past five years and that they are being farmed in a way which is compliant with relevant legislation, including Nitrate Vulnerable Zone rules, Farming Rules for Water and SSAFO rules (Storage of Slurry, Silage and Agricultural Fuel Oils):

• to support and inform the above declaration, it is expected that successful applicants will complete the Environment Agency’s Agricultural Compliance Tool (ACT) (when publicly available – this is expected to be in Summer 2023), address any actions identified and submit a copy of the completed ACT to Wessex Water (who will hold it in confidence)
• for longer term (>5 years of payments) and higher-value agreements (>£5000 total annual payments), agreement holders are required to complete the ACT annually for the duration of the agreement, address any actions identified and submit a copy of the completed ACT to Wessex Water (who will hold it in confidence)
• assistance in completing the ACT may be available from the project team.