FG15: Water gates
Source: gov.uk (2025-02-03)

Find out about eligibility and requirements for the water gates item.

This item is part of Capital Grants 2025. You must read the Capital Grants 2025 guidance (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/capital-grants-2025) to understand the rules and how to apply. If you’re applying for this item as part of a Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT) application, you must read the CSHT applicant’s guide (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/countryside-stewardship-higher-tier-csht) to understand the rules and how to apply.

How much you’ll be paid

£532.80 per gate.

How this item benefits the environment

Preventing livestock from entering watercourse channels and stopping livestock from trampling waterside banks leaves bankside vegetation lush and unbroken by livestock paths.

This item can help you protect, recover and improve biodiversity on your land.

Where you can use this item

You can use this item either:
- in areas targeted for the reduction of water pollution caused by farming
- on fence lines across streams alongside other stock control items
- as part of a Woodland Tree Health grant (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/woodland-tree-health-grants-2025)
What you must do to use this item

You must fit a gate across the river or stream. Make sure the gate:
- is framed and made of wood
- fits the profile of the river or stream
- matches the height of the fence next to it
- uses timber that’s fully peeled and tanalised or treated with an approved preservative
- can float up and down as the water levels rise and fall
- has an approach fence that’s either post-and-rail or fixed netting
- is separate (along with the approach fencing) from the main fence line
You must also make sure the gate consists of either a:
- series of wooden droppers attached to a length of wire cable
- round wooden rail suspended horizontally between straining posts
The droppers must be:
- at least 50 millimetres (mm) square in cross section
- made from sawn and untreated timber that has been drilled and then threaded on to the cable or rail
- separated by at least 150mm lengths of plastic pipe
If the stream gully is more than 1.5 metres (m) deep, you can construct the gate in several sections. The droppers must be:
- made of untreated timber
- at least 70mm square
- hung on round wooden poles using loops of fencing wire
Evidence you must keep

You must keep and provide with your claim:
- photographs of the completed work
- any consents and permissions from the Environment Agency
You must also keep and provide on request:
- any consents or permissions connected with the work (in addition to the ones stated above)
- receipted invoices or bank statements where a receipted invoice is unavailable
- photographs of the existing site before work starts
Read the record keeping and site visit requirements in the Agreement holder’s guide: Capital Grants, Higher Tier capital grants and Protection and Infrastructure grants (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/agreement-holders-guide-capital-grants-higher-tier-capital-grants-and-protection-and-infrastructure-grants-2025) for more information.

If you’re applying for this item as part of a Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT) application, you must read the record keeping and site visit requirements in the CSHT agreement holder’s guide (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/countryside-stewardship-higher-tier-csht).

Other capital items you can use with this item

You can use this item with these items:

BN7: Hedgerow gapping-up (https://www.gov.uk/countryside-stewardship-grants/hedgerow-gapping-up-bn7)

BN12: Stone wall restoration (https://www.gov.uk/countryside-stewardship-grants/stone-wall-restoration-bn12)

BN13: Top wiring – stone walls (https://www.gov.uk/countryside-stewardship-grants/stone-wall-supplement-top-wiring-bn13)

BN14: Stone wall supplement – stone from quarry (https://www.gov.uk/countryside-stewardship-grants/stone-wall-supplement-stone-from-quarry-bn14)

FG1: Fencing (https://www.gov.uk/countryside-stewardship-grants/fencing-fg1)

FG2: Sheep netting (https://www.gov.uk/countryside-stewardship-grants/sheep-netting-fg2)

FG9: Deer fencing (https://www.gov.uk/countryside-stewardship-grants/deer-fencing-fg9)

RP5: Cross drains (https://www.gov.uk/countryside-stewardship-grants/cross-drains-rp5)

Advice to help you use this item

The following advice may help you to use this item, but you do not have to follow it to get paid. It’s not part of this item’s requirements.

How to get an environmental permit

You may need an environmental permit (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/flood-risk-activities-environmental-permits) (formerly flood defence consent) to use this item near a watercourse or within 10m of the top of a riverbank (this varies with some local byelaws).

The Environment Agency issue environmental permits for main rivers. (https://environment.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=17cd53dfc524433980cc333726a56386) You do not need flood risk permits to work on ‘ordinary watercourses’ – usually small rivers, streams and ditches. Contact your lead local flood authority or internal drainage board (https://www.ada.org.uk/member_type/idbs/) to check if you need land drainage consent on all other watercourses.

If you think you need an environmental permit, contact the Environment Agency (https://www.gov.uk/permission-work-on-river-flood-sea-defence) for advice.

British Standards

Check to make sure the work meets relevant British Standards (https://www.bsigroup.com/en-GB/products-and-services/standards/).