CGS26: Manage grassland with very low inputs
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

£151 per hectare (ha) per year

Action’s aim

This action’s aim is that there’s grassland which produces a sward with:
- flowering grasses and wildflowers from late spring and during the summer months
- a variety of plant heights by autumn
- some covering of flowering grasses and wildflowers left to go to seed
- tussocky grass allowed to develop
The purpose of this is to:
- provide nectar and shelter for invertebrates and a food supply for farmland birds
- support an integrated pest management approach if located close to cropped areas
- minimise nutrients being carried in surface water runoff to watercourses
Where you can do this action

You can do this action on eligible land that’s located below the moorland line.

Eligible land

You can do this action on land that’s:
- an eligible land type
- registered with an eligible land cover on your digital maps
- declared with a land use code (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/land-use-codes-rural-payments) which is compatible with the eligible land cover
Available area you can enter into this action

Total or part of the available area in the land parcel.

Rotational or static action

This action is static. This means you must do it on the same location each year of the action’s duration.

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 by grazing with livestock or cutting for hay or silage. All cuttings must be removed
- only apply fertilisers or manures at rates agreed with your Natural England adviser in years when the grassland is cut for hay, haylage, or silage
- maintain a sward with different heights during the growing season
- prevent additional scrub encroachment on historic or archaeological features
- reduce bare ground, so the soil is covered by vegetation and is not exposed to the elements
The advice you’re given from Natural England is specific to your land which means (where relevant) you may also need to:
- top the grass as agreed with your Natural England adviser
- maintain a soil pH and lime as agreed with your Natural England adviser
- control dense areas of rush
- retain areas of well-established scrub
- leave an uncut margin around the edge of the area entered into this action when it’s cut for conserved forage – this helps provide shelter for invertebrates
You must not:
- increase the rate of fertiliser or manure application from current levels
- carry out drainage works, including modifying existing drainage, without written permission from Natural England
- harrow or roll on historic or archaeological features
- allow the encroachment of scrub on historic or archaeological features
- plough, cultivate or re-seed
- apply pesticides – you may be able to use herbicides to spot-treat or weed-wipe for the control of injurious weeds, invasive non-native plant species, nettles or other plants if this has been agreed with your Natural England adviser
- carry out mechanical operations or other activities that may cause significant disturbance to birds during the breeding season or the autumn and winter (this does not include ditch maintenance)
- supplementary feed unless agreed with your Natural England adviser
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:
- field operations at a land parcel level
- associated invoices
- photographs
Other actions or options you can do on the same area as this action

You can do the following actions or options on the same area in a land parcel as this action.

Some actions or options can only be done on the same area if they’re done at a different time of year to this action.

You can do the following actions or options on the eligible boundaries of a land parcel entered into this action:
- CSHT actions: CWT3, CHRW4
- SFI 2024 actions: CHRW1, CHRW2, CHRW3, BND1, BND2, WBD10
- SFI 2023 actions: HRW1, HRW2, HRW3
- CS option BE3 (management of hedgerows)
Consents, permissions and licensing requirements

To apply for this action, you’ll need:
- 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)
You may need to:
- agree an implementation plan or feasibility study with your Natural England adviser
- get advice from your Forestry Commission woodland officer or Natural England adviser if you have other historic or archaeological 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 historic and archaeological 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.

Choose the right location

This action is suited to grassland which contains common plant species including:
- legumes such as red clover, lesser trefoil, selfheal and black medick
- herbs such as ribwort plantain and yarrow
- attractive wildflowers such as selfheal and germander speedwell
- dwarf shrubs such as heather and bilberry in upland areas
Low input grassland can be beneficial when located alongside other important landscape features such as scrub and wetlands as a buffer or in a mosaic approach.

Low input grassland can also provide good protection for historic and archaeological features as long as plants with powerful roots like scrub or bracken do not take hold and bare ground does not develop.

Managing the sward

Graze with cattle, or cattle and sheep (rather than sheep only) where possible, for a varied sward height and patchy structure which is better for insects, birds and other animals.

You can use rotational grazing or set stocking. If you use rotational grazing, manage the grazing rotation so that it doesn’t become too rank during the rest periods or leave the sward too short after grazing.

Maintain wet areas which can be important sources of insect food.

Your Natural England adviser may need to adapt this advice to your site, for example on some SSSIs or where you use it alongside other actions.