CCT6: Coastal vegetation management supplement
Source: gov.uk (2025-09-10)

What you must do to get paid for this CSHT action and advice on how to do it.

This action is part of Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT). You must read the CSHT guidance (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/countryside-stewardship-higher-tier-csht) before you apply.

Duration

5 years

How much you’ll be paid

£123 per hectare (ha) per year

Action’s aim

The aim of this supplemental action is to support coastal vegetation management. For example, by reducing existing levels of grazing, or introducing grazing or cutting.

The purpose of this is to:
- provide a more varied sward structure and greater wildlife diversity
- better control scrub and coarse vegetation
- increase the number of nesting species and breeding pairs of locally and nationally important species
- reduce damage by trampling
Where you can do this action

You can only do this supplemental action on land with any of the following Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT) base actions:
- CCT2: Make space for new coastal habitat
- CCT3: Manage coastal saltmarsh and its vegetation
- CCT4: Create intertidal and saline habitat on arable land
- CCT5: Create intertidal and saline habitat by non-intervention
- CCT7: Create intertidal and saline habitat on intensive grassland
- CCT8: Manage and restore coastal sand dunes
- CCT9: Manage and restore coastal vegetated shingle
- CCT10: Manage and restore maritime cliffs and slopes
You can only do this action if you have an implementation plan or feasibility study agreed with Natural England.

Your Natural England adviser will agree with you what other supplemental actions may be needed to meet the intended environmental outcomes. This could include:
- CSP1: Difficult site supplement
- CSP11: Manage scrapes and gutters supplement
- CSP12: Rhododendron control and management supplement
- CSP18: Keep native breeds on extensively managed habitats supplement (50-80%)
- CSP19: Keep native breeds on extensively managed habitats supplement (more than 80%)
- CSP2: Rewetting supplement
- CSP3: Bracken control supplement
- CSP5: Shepherding supplement (non-moorland)
- CSP6: Cattle grazing supplement (non-moorland)
- CSP7: Introduction of cattle grazing on the Isles of Scilly supplement
- CSP9: Support for threatened species
Eligible land

Same as base action

Available area you can enter into this action

Same or less than the base action.

Rotational or static action

Same as base action.

What to do

Your Natural England adviser will assess your land. They’ll work with you to adapt and agree the activities you must do to achieve this action’s aim. All mandatory activities will be set out in your agreement document.

To get paid for this action you must manage the vegetation on the coastal habitat by grazing or cutting using methods agreed with your Natural England adviser.

You must not allow supplementary feeding, unless it’s during periods of extreme weather, such as drought.

When to do it

You must do this action each year of its duration.

Evidence to keep

You must keep evidence to show what you have done to complete this action. If it’s not clear that you have done this action in a way that could reasonably be expected to achieve its aim, the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) may ask for this evidence.

You must supply the evidence if they ask for it, including:
- a monthly record of grazing stock numbers
- the frequency of vegetation cutting
Consents, permissions and licensing requirements

To apply for this action, you’ll need:
- to agree an implementation plan or feasibility study with your Natural England adviser
- Scheduled Monument Consent (https://historicengland.org.uk/advice/planning/consents/smc/) from Historic England for any work on scheduled monuments
- consent from Natural England for any activity on land designated as a site of special scientific interest (SSSI) (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/protected-areas-sites-of-special-scientific-interest#get-consent-to-carry-out-operations-on-your-land)
- consent from the Environment Agency or other responsible bodies for works on sea defences or other hydrological structures
You may also need to:
- get advice from your Natural England adviser if you have other archaeological or historic features on your agreement land
- get a wildlife licence (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/wildlife-licences) from Natural England if your activities affect a protected species or their habitat
All archaeological and historic features (including scheduled monuments) are identified in your Historic Environment Farm Environment Record (HEFER).

If you’re a tenant, it’s your responsibility to check whether your tenancy agreement allows you to complete what’s required in the actions you choose. You may need your landlord’s consent.

Capital grants to support this action

If you need to complete an implementation plan or a feasibility study before you apply, you can apply for capital grants plans funding (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/capital-items-guidance-for-applicants-and-agreement-holders#capital-grants-plans).

You can also apply for capital items (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/capital-items-guidance-for-applicants-and-agreement-holders) to help you achieve the action’s aims. Your Natural England adviser will discuss eligible capital items with you.

Advice to help you do this action

The following optional advice may help you to do this action. Your agreement document will set out all the activities you must do.

Choosing a site

You can use this supplement to provide additional support for conservation grazing or vegetation management such as cutting to improve biodiversity.

You can use it if either of the following apply:

you’re starting grazing vegetation management where it’s beneficial, but you have not done it there before

where grazing levels need modifying to create a more varied vegetation structure

Only use this supplement with the agreement of your Natural England adviser.

As it’s a supplement, co-locate it with an underlying coastal habitat action so:

CCT2: Make space for new coastal habitat

CCT3: Manage coastal saltmarsh and its vegetation

CCT4: Create intertidal and saline habitat on arable land

CCT5: Create intertidal and saline habitat by non-intervention

CCT7: Create intertidal and saline habitat on intensive grassland

CCT8: Manage and restore coastal sand dunes

CCT9: Manage and restore coastal vegetated shingle

CCT10: Manage and restore maritime cliffs and slopes

You can use this supplement on sites:

that are undesignated, or designated as SSSIs

to restore habitats in poor condition

help manage habitats that are in good condition

It’s best to avoid using it in areas where grazing or other vegetation management will not help increase the biodiversity of habitats. For example, areas of grazing sensitive plant species.