FARMERS and landowners in England with Environmental Stewardship agreements will be able to maintain their existing dual use arrangements in 2015.

Arik Dondi, the Rural Payment Agency’s (RPA) external relations director, said: “This covers all existing Environmental Stewardship agreements, including those remaining to be signed up this year, and means the continuation of two different beneficiaries receiving support under two separate CAP schemes for the same piece of land at the same time, provided the different parties can each meet the rules of the different schemes.

“We are determined to implement the CAP in a way that is as simple, affordable, and effective as possible and to ensure that the countdown to the new scheme is as smooth as possible for farmers and landowners.”

He said tenants or landlords whose land will be in dual use in 2015 should be aware that with the introduction of greening requirements, where land is let out under a tenancy agreement - Agricultural Holdings Act or Farm Business Tenancy - the tenant will need to include that land when working out their greening requirement. The landlord would not include that land as part of their greening requirement.

The RPA said that anyone who plans to claim a Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) payment next year for land that someone else is claiming for under another scheme should ensure they have a written record they have the land at their disposal and that they are eligible for the scheme. They should also read the leaflet called Extra guidance on dual use of land.