Agri-environment
policy
30. A high proportion of SSSI land is under some
form of agricultural use, particularly grazing. Owners of these
areas need to make an economic return from the land. The kinds
of management changes needed to bring it into favourable condition
are often costly, or may involve forgoing some profit. Agri-environment
schemes are therefore seen as one of the key means of achieving
the PSA target on agricultural land.
31. However, the current agri-environment schemes
do not always succeed in bringing agricultural SSSIs into favourable
condition. In 2002/3, only 56% of SSSI land under the Wildlife
Enhancement Scheme was meeting the PSA target, 55% under the Countryside
Stewardship Scheme and 41% under the Environmentally Sensitive
Areas Scheme. EN told us that this was because the Wildlife Enhancement
Scheme was set up before the stronger legal provisions for SSSIs
were created by the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 and
the other two schemes were not always designed specifically to
achieve favourable condition. [35]
32. Defra is reviewing the Countryside Stewardship
and Environmentally Sensitive Areas Schemes and is working on
a new scheme, the Environmental Stewardship Scheme.[36]
In EN's view, the higher level of this scheme has a key role in
delivering the PSA target and, unless opportunities offered by
the higher level scheme are taken, "we will fail to achieve
the PSA target".[37]
The higher level is intended largely to replace Wildlife Enhancement
Scheme, Environmentally Sensitive Areas and Countryside Stewardship
payments. EN believes that the new scheme could reduce bureaucracy
and simplify payments.[38]
When the new scheme is applied to SSSI land, EN wants its primary
objective to be the achievement of favourable condition.[39]
33. EN has calculated that 52% of all SSSI land will
require agri-environment support to meet the PSA target. It said
that the likely annual cost of agri-environment schemes on SSSIs
would need to rise from £22 million in 2002/3 (out of a total
agri-environment budget of £120m) to £38 million from
2009/10 onwards and told us that "to achieve this increase,
the proportion of agri-environment funding spent on SSSIs needs
to be maintained at at least 20% of the total agri-environment
spend".[40]
34. In general, landowners welcomed the idea of better
funded and more focussed funds aimed at achieving favourable condition
on SSSIs. However, the National Farmers' Union was concerned that
biodiversity should not be the sole aim of the agri-environment
schemes, saying "it is important that the Environmental Stewardship
Scheme is not 'hijacked' to be the principal vehicle for SSSI/PSA
delivery" and that additional funding and advice would still
be necessary.[41]
35. Agri-environment
schemes are one of the most important mechanisms for achieving
favourable condition on many SSSIs. The Government should take
care in the design and funding of new schemes to ensure that they
are more effective than existing ones and that enough funds are
available for all SSSIs. The Government must be explicit about
what it wants the new agri-environment schemes to achieve for
SSSIs and should report regularly on their progress. This is an
area that the Committee will return to.
Other
policies that affect SSSIs
36. EN said "the PSA target cannot be delivered
simply by improving agri-environment schemes and better management
of land held by public bodies. The target will not be achieved
without significant policy changes".[42]
EN has called for policy changes in a wide range of areas, including
coastal planning and flood defence, forestry and management of
common land.[43]
37. The focus and
drive provided by the PSA target provides an opportunity for Defra
to push forward other aspects of its environmental and conservation
work. In particular, we see great scope for improving the status
of freshwater ecosystems by integrating work on SSSIs, the Water
Framework Directive and diffuse pollution. The problems presented
by diffuse pollution have been raised in a number of our recent
inquiries and positive action to tackle them has been slow in
coming. Government policy and other policies that promote and
control development are also important, as are transport policies
and other measures that affect airborne conditions. We welcome
the announcement that Defra is shortly to publish a draft policy
paper on diffuse pollution, which we will wish to examine closely.
35 Ev 45-46 [English Nature] Back
36
Ev 60 [Defra] Back
37
Ev 46 [English Nature] Back
38
Ev 46 [English Nature] Back
39
Ev 46 [English Nature] Back
40
Ev 46 [English Nature] Back
41
Ev 87 [NFU] Back
42
Ev 47 [English Nature] Back
43
Qq135-137 Back
