Grant or payment · England
River Stour Phosphorus Reduction Scheme
Annual payments and one-off funding for farm changes that cut phosphorus run-off, such as arable reversion to grass, herbal leys, buffer strips, beetle banks, hedges, trees and wetlands.
- From
- Wessex Water
- How much
- Per year: arable reversion to zero-input grass £720/ha (£500/ha on free-draining soils); to low/medium input grass, herbal ley or legume fallow £600/ha (£400/ha free-draining); intensive grassland reversion £400/ha; ridged buffer strip £3,000/ha; beetle bank £3,500/ha; in-field grass strip £2,500/ha. Agreements of 3.5 years from autumn 2026 or 3 years from spring 2027. Hedges, riparian trees, wetlands and integrated buffers are priced per project.
- Who can apply
- Farmers with land in the 2026 Target Area of the River Stour catchment (over 50% of a field inside the area).
Where it’s available
Land in parts of: Bath and North East Somerset, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, Dorset, Hampshire, Somerset, Wiltshire. The finder checks your exact land.
What you’ll need
- Land inside the 2026 Target Area
- No double funding with CS, SFI, BNG or nutrient neutrality on the same land
How to apply
- Contact the Wessex Water project team via the scheme page
- Applications are scored on phosphorus saved and location; fixed annual budget
No closing date published; budget is limited and may be first come, first served.
Similar schemes
- Bespoke Water Quality Improvement Projects Scheme OpenThames WaterLarger contributions for farm projects that bring big, long-term water quality improvements.
- Catchment Fund OpenThames Water · Closes 30 November 2026Part-funding for farm work that cuts nitrate and herbicide pollution of drinking water sources in priority catchments.
- River Health and Community Fund OpenThames WaterGrants for community projects that engage people with rivers or improve them.
- STEPS 2026 (Severn Trent Environmental Protection Scheme) OpenSevern Trent · Closes 11 December 2026Grants for soil health, soil structure, watercourse protection, better use of inputs, livestock management and keeping soil and nutrients in the field, plus a Farmer Innovation option.
- Tone, Parrett and Yeo Phosphorus Reduction Scheme OpenWessex WaterAnnual payments for farm changes that cut phosphorus run-off in the Somerset Tone, Parrett and Yeo sub-catchments.
- Catchment Sensitive Farming (CSF) Open all yearNatural England with Defra and Environment AgencyConfidential one-to-one advice on soil, nutrients, manure, ammonia, pesticides and water, and help with capital grant applications.
Checked against the official pages on 29 October 2026. Sources: 1. Always read the official page before you apply.