Sheep Dip Reduction Project (Extension) 2010-2011. Ref No. XA319/2008
Background
The aim of the Sheep Dip Reduction Project Extension is to minimise the risk of sheep dip pollution in the Tweed, Aln, Coquet and Coastal Streams Catchment area whilst farmers continue to effectively control ecto-parasites in sheep.
The Sheep Dip Reduction Project Extension is a partnership project between Northumberland National Park Authority (NNPA), England Catchment Sensitive Farming Delivery Initiative (ECSFDI) and the Environment Agency.
The England Catchment Sensitive Farming Delivery Initiative XA 117/2007 provided advice to a number of landowners in the River Till Dip Sheep Reduction Project catchment area. The River Till Sheep Dip Reduction Project (XA319/2008) secured £34,000 to improve red risk dippers. This area has now been extended to include the parts of the Rivers Coquet and Aln that are inside both the Northumberland National Park and the Tweed, Aln, Coquet and Coastal Streams Catchment area. In order to improve the red risk dippers in the catchment extension and complete the project extra funding has been secured from the Environment Agency (£20, 000).
This phase of the project will consist of grants of up to 50% for the improvement works to “red risk” dippers.
The scheme will assist Sheep farmers to invest in dipper improvements, resulting in more environmentally efficient sheep dips. These improvements include:
- Renewal of Dip Tanks.
- Extra / improved splash protection.
- Concreting of the sheep draining area (post dipping)
- Concreting the Apron / Bunding / Surge protection around dipping area.
- Net fencing to hold the sheep, thus allowing fleece to be fully dry, before sheep pass over drains and streams.
If no improvement works are carried out almost half of the dippers in the target area will pose a high risk of pollution to the target area.
While the aim for the project to raise awareness of effective ecto-parasite control and to minimise the risk of sheep dip pollution in the Tweed, Aln, Coquet and Coastal Streams Catchment the focus now is to tackle the “Red Risk” dipping facilities.
Who is Eligible
To be eligible, farmers needed to comply with the following criteria:
- Manage an agricultural holding / business within the ECSFDI priority catchment area and Northumberland National Park.
- Grant applications can only be submitted by farmers who have had dipper Improvement plans drawn up as part of the Dip Reduction Project. All qualifying holdings will be invited by letter to submit a grant application. The applications will be assessed from 1 June 2010.
- The farm business must be classified as a small or medium sized enterprise (SME) in line with Annex 1 of Commission Regulation 70/2001 (as amended). In summary, a SME:
• has fewer than 250 employees;
• has either an annual turnover not exceeding 50 million euros, or a balance sheet total not exceeding 43 million euros and is independent;
• the criteria must be applied to the company as a whole (including subsidiaries located in other Member States and outside the EU).
The scheme is in accordance with Article 4 of Commission Regulation 1857/2006. The aid intensity of 50% is in accordance with Article 4.2(a) (the scheme is to run in a less favoured area and entitled to the higher aid intensity rate of 50%) The maximum amount of aid granted to an individual enterprise will not exceed 500,000 Euros.
Grant Details
We have estimated that dipper improvements will cost up to a maximum of £5,000 per farm and we will be match funding at 50%.
- The last date for farmers to apply is 31 May2010.
- The applications will be assessed from 1 June 2010.
- The final date for payment will be 31 March 2011.
- Work will have to be completed and inspected before payment.
The current project area covers a total area of 481.17 km2, about 25% of Tweed, Aln, Coquet and Coastal Streams Catchment.
How will success of this project be evaluated?
There will be four levels of evaluation:
- Numbers of farmers that have health plans carried out (funded by EA)
- Number of farmers that attend the workshop to learn more about the environmental issues
- Number of dipper improvement plans implemented
- Changes in water quality
Closing date
The project will close on 31st March 2011. It will also close to new applications on 31 May 2010. Final payments will be made on 31st March 2011.
