Higher Level Stewardship Payment Rates to Rise from January 2025
On the 28 May 2025 the UK government announced a significant uplift in payment rates for Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) agreements, effective from 1 January 2025. This move is part of a broader strategy to align HLS with newer environmental land management schemes such as the Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT) and the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI).
A total of 157 HLS options will see increased payments, with the adjustments creating a difference between current HLS rates and their CSHT or SFI equivalents. The aim is to ensure fairer compensation for farmers and land managers.
Notable Increases Include:
- Woodland creation in upland areas (SDA of LFAs) will rise from £200.00 to £251.60.
- Wood pasture creation sees a substantial jump from £180.00 to £305.22.
- Successional scrub management options increase to between £160.54 and £242.42, up from £100.00.
- Traditional orchard maintenance and ditch management also receive modest boosts.
These changes reflect the government’s efforts supporting sustainable land use and biodiversity while ensuring that legacy schemes like HLS remain attractive and competitive. For the full list of changes go to Payment rates from 1 January 2025: Higher Level Stewardship – GOV.UK.
Florence White