5. HIGHER LEVEL STEWARDSHIP PARTICIPANT QUESTIONNAIRE SURVEY 5.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................... 6 5.2 Methods ............................................................................................................ 6 5.3 Results.............................................................................................................. 7 5.3.1 Background information and general attitudes........................................... 7 5.3.1.1 Area of land within HLS agreement (Q5)................................................ 7 5.3.1.2 Farm ownership (Q7)............................................................................. 7 5.3.1.3 Conservation work on the farm (Q9) ...................................................... 8 5.3.1.4 Awareness of Defra Environmental Stewardship Scheme (Q11)............ 8 5.3.1.5 Purpose of Environmental Stewardship (Q13) ....................................... 9 5.3.1.6 Approach to HLS (Q14) ........................................................................10 5.3.2 Application................................................................................................14 5.3.2.1 The quality and content of the HLS handbook (Q15).............................14 5.3.2.2 Pre-application contact with RDS adviser (Q16) ...................................15 5.3.2.3 Application form and map request from RDS (Q17) ..............................15 5.3.2.4 Help with your FEP (Q18) .....................................................................16 5.3.2.5 Completing the FEP (Q19)....................................................................16 5.3.2.6 Completion of Application form and maps (Q20)...................................19 5.3.2.7 Choice of options (Q21) ........................................................................20 5.3.2.8 Current options (Q22) ...........................................................................23 5.3.2.9 Additional ELS/OELS options (Q23) .....................................................24 5.3.2.10 Access options (Q24)............................................................................25 5.3.2.11 Capital Works (Q25) .............................................................................27 5.3.2.12 Other sources of advice (Q26) ..............................................................28 5.3.2.13 RDS Assessment (Q27)........................................................................30 5.3.2.14 Future sources of advice (Q28).............................................................32 5.3.3 Agreement................................................................................................33 5.3.3.1 Agreement Document (Q29).................................................................33 5.3.3.2 Guidance on option management (Q30) ...............................................38 5.3.3.3 Indicators of success (Q31) ..................................................................39 5.3.3.4 Delivery of options (Q32) ......................................................................39 5.3.4 Impact of the scheme ...............................................................................41 5.3.4.1 Impact of the scheme on individual farms (Q33) ...................................41 5.3.4.2 Impact on the farming system (Q34).....................................................42 5.3.4.3 Payment rates (Q35).............................................................................43 5.3.4.4 Future choice of options (Q36)..............................................................44 5.3.5 Visit questionnaire – chosen and non-chosen options ..............................46 5.3.5.1 Option choice and management (QC1).................................................46 5.3.5.2 Management undertaken in the past? (QC1b) ......................................51 5.3.5.3 Management if option not chosen (QC1c).............................................52 5.3.5.4 Effects of option on the business (QC1d)..............................................52 5.3.5.5 Payment rates (QC1e)..........................................................................53 5.3.5.6 Continuation of management (QC1f).....................................................53 5.3.5.7 FEP features not adopted – non-chosen options (QC1g)......................54 5.4 Discussion........................................................................................................56 5.5 Conclusions and recommendations..................................................................61 Appendix 5.1................................................................................................................63 Background information and general attitudes .............................................................63 Background information on all farms (Q1 - 4) .......................................................63 Area of land within HLS agreement (Q5) ..............................................................64 Organic registration (Q6)......................................................................................64 Water pollution (Q8) .............................................................................................65 1 Agri-environment schemes (Q10).........................................................................66 Awareness of Defra Environmental Stewardship Scheme (Q11)..........................67 Impact of CAP reform including SPS and Cross Compliance (Q12) .....................68 Application ...............................................................................................................69 Completion of Application form and maps (Q20) ..................................................69 Choice of options (Q21) .......................................................................................70 Capital Works (Q25).............................................................................................70 Other sources of advice (Q26) .............................................................................71 Future sources of advice (Q28) ............................................................................72 Agreement ...............................................................................................................73 Agreement Document (Q29) ................................................................................73 Delivery of options (Q32)......................................................................................74 Visit questionnaire – chosen and non-chosen options..............................................75 Management undertaken in the past? (QC1b)......................................................75 Management if option not chosen (QC1c). ...........................................................75 Effects of option on the business (QC1d) .............................................................75 Payment rates (QC1e). ........................................................................................76 Continuation of management (QC1f)....................................................................76 FEP features not adopted – non-chosen options (QC1g). ....................................77 Appendix 5.2 HLS option and capital item codes and payment rates ..........................79 2 Table 5.1 Details of questionnaire returns and farm visits.......................................... 6 Table 5.2 Reasons given for not entering the total holding into an HLS agreement (n includes those respondents who said an answer was not applicable). .......................................................................................... 7 Table 5.3 Farm ownership......................................................................................... 8 Table 5.4 Proportion of respondents undertaking conservation work on the farm prior to their HLS agreement.............................................................. 8 Table 5.5 Sources of information used by respondents. ............................................ 9 Table 5.6 The main aims and purpose of Environmental Stewardship......................10 Table 5.7 Main reasons for applying to join HLS.......................................................11 Table 5.8 Perceived barriers to entering HLS...........................................................12 Table 5.9 Perceived positive aspects of HLS............................................................12 Table 5.10 Perceived negative aspects of HLS. .........................................................13 Table 5.11 Perceived difficulties over the next ten years from being in the scheme.....................................................................................................14 Table 5.12 Proportion of respondents reading the handbook......................................14 Table 5.13 Suggestions for the improvement of the handbook. ..................................15 Table 5.14 Proportion of respondents having pre-application discussions and visits from a RDS adviser..........................................................................15 Table 5.15 Ease in obtaining an application form and maps.......................................16 Table 5.16 Person conducting the FEP if not undertaken by the respondent..............16 Table 5.17 Length of time taken to complete the FEP (in hours). ...............................17 Table 5.18 Proportion of FEP costs perceived by respondents as being covered by