The Catchment Sensitive Farming (CSF) Capital Grant Scheme is run by Natural England and offers up to 50% funding for farm improvement works that tackle water pollution issues.

The 3,000 applications received by the grants scheme this year add up to a total of around £25m.

Director of Land Management (South) for Natural England, Geoff Sansome, said: “Work funded by this scheme over recent years is already providing savings for thousands of farmers and enhancing local environments throughout England by improving water quality”.

Natural England said that the grants are available for carrying out practical works that will boost the health of England’s streams, rivers, meres and mosses by improving water quality and reducing pollution from agricultural activity.

More than 40 types of project are eligible, including installing water troughs, managing pesticides to reduce groundwater impacts, roofing manure and silage stores and works to keep livestock away from streams.

This year, the Government announced an extension to the CSF Capital Grant Scheme and made an additional £14m available in 2012/13, bringing the total annual budget to over £21m. An extra £8m will be made available in 2013/14.

The CSF scheme is a joint project between Natural England and the Environment Agency, funded by Defra and the Rural Development Programme for England.

Leigh Stringer

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