The Bill provides the mechanisms to transition away from direct payments based on land holding to targeted support schemes including the Environmental Land Management Scheme and direct “productivity measures” such as the current Countryside Productivity Scheme. The UK government pledged to maintain current level farm support for the remainder of the current parliament which coincides with the rollout of ELM in 2024.

The transition away from BPS will see payments reduce from 2021 to 2027. ELM may provide a counter balance to this reduction where scheme criteria can be met but the level of ELM claim will be different for each claimant. The BPS reductions for 2021 have been announced and we expect details of future deductions later in the year.

We do not expect an additional maximum claim value, or ceiling limit, but the reductions will simply be annual percentage decreases from 2021, with future deductions based on government budgets for coinciding productivity measures and other potential means of support such as lump-sum payments.

Edward Page of Davis Meade Property Consultants