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Already in a Countryside Stewardship agreement? This article explains when you can stack BNG income on top—and when it could breach double funding rules. Learn how to make both schemes work for your land.
If you’re already in a Countryside Stewardship (CS) agreement and eyeing up the opportunity to sell biodiversity units through the Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) market, you’re not alone. It’s one of the most common questions landowners are asking right now: Can I receive BNG income on land that’s also under CS?
The short answer? Yes, you can—but only if the actions being funded are clearly different. And that distinction matters, because if you’re not careful, you could find yourself breaching Defra’s double funding rules.
Let’s explore how to stack BNG and CS without running into trouble.
At the heart of the matter is whether you’re being paid twice for the same environmental benefit. If you’re managing a field under CS as low-input grassland, and you then try to sell biodiversity units for enhancing that same field as species-rich meadow—without doing anything over and above the CS requirements—you’d likely be classed as double-dipping.
On the other hand, if you’ve got a CS buffer strip in place along one edge of the field and you’re planning to enhance the centre of that field into a separate, well-defined BNG habitat, there may be room for stacking. The key is that the two schemes are paying you to do different things in different ways, even if it’s on the same holding.
This kind of layered approach—carefully mapped, clearly recorded—can work. But the burden is on you, the land manager, to demonstrate that each scheme is paying for a distinct outcome.
If your CS agreement is coming to an end, it’s worth considering whether that land could be transitioned into a biodiversity gain site. Fields that have already seen environmental improvement through CS might be prime candidates for further enhancement—and could hold real value for developers looking to buy biodiversity units.
However, just because a CS agreement has technically ended doesn’t mean the slate is wiped clean. If you’ve had capital grants for things like fencing, scrub clearance, or pond restoration, there may still be ongoing maintenance requirements attached. You’ll need to check the fine print before counting that land towards new BNG income.
If you're thinking of stacking CS and BNG, it’s not just about whether you can do it—it’s about how you manage the process. That means having crystal-clear maps showing which areas are under which agreements, keeping records of all actions taken, and ideally, getting professional advice before you commit.
Farmers and landowners are well-used to juggling different schemes—but with BNG now bringing in legal agreements and long-term commitments, the stakes are higher than they were with traditional agri-environmental funding. The last thing you want is to get part-way through a habitat creation project, only to find you’re in breach of your CS agreement—or worse, asked to pay funding back.
It’s about building confidence—not just with Defra or Natural England, but with the developers who may one day buy your units. They want to know the habitats are secure, legitimate, and not propped up by other schemes.
That’s where AskGrant can step in. We help landowners explore their options, understand what can be stacked and what can’t, and work out the smartest use of their land. Whether you're balancing multiple environmental aims or just want a clear strategy that works for your land and your income, we’re here to help.
Already in a Countryside Stewardship agreement? This article explains when you can stack BNG income on top—and when it could breach double funding rules. Learn how to make both schemes work for your land.
If you’re already in a Countryside Stewardship (CS) agreement and eyeing up the opportunity to sell biodiversity units through the Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) market, you’re not alone. It’s one of the most common questions landowners are asking right now: Can I receive BNG income on land that’s also under CS?
The short answer? Yes, you can—but only if the actions being funded are clearly different. And that distinction matters, because if you’re not careful, you could find yourself breaching Defra’s double funding rules.
Let’s explore how to stack BNG and CS without running into trouble.
At the heart of the matter is whether you’re being paid twice for the same environmental benefit. If you’re managing a field under CS as low-input grassland, and you then try to sell biodiversity units for enhancing that same field as species-rich meadow—without doing anything over and above the CS requirements—you’d likely be classed as double-dipping.
On the other hand, if you’ve got a CS buffer strip in place along one edge of the field and you’re planning to enhance the centre of that field into a separate, well-defined BNG habitat, there may be room for stacking. The key is that the two schemes are paying you to do different things in different ways, even if it’s on the same holding.
This kind of layered approach—carefully mapped, clearly recorded—can work. But the burden is on you, the land manager, to demonstrate that each scheme is paying for a distinct outcome.
If your CS agreement is coming to an end, it’s worth considering whether that land could be transitioned into a biodiversity gain site. Fields that have already seen environmental improvement through CS might be prime candidates for further enhancement—and could hold real value for developers looking to buy biodiversity units.
However, just because a CS agreement has technically ended doesn’t mean the slate is wiped clean. If you’ve had capital grants for things like fencing, scrub clearance, or pond restoration, there may still be ongoing maintenance requirements attached. You’ll need to check the fine print before counting that land towards new BNG income.
If you're thinking of stacking CS and BNG, it’s not just about whether you can do it—it’s about how you manage the process. That means having crystal-clear maps showing which areas are under which agreements, keeping records of all actions taken, and ideally, getting professional advice before you commit.
Farmers and landowners are well-used to juggling different schemes—but with BNG now bringing in legal agreements and long-term commitments, the stakes are higher than they were with traditional agri-environmental funding. The last thing you want is to get part-way through a habitat creation project, only to find you’re in breach of your CS agreement—or worse, asked to pay funding back.
It’s about building confidence—not just with Defra or Natural England, but with the developers who may one day buy your units. They want to know the habitats are secure, legitimate, and not propped up by other schemes.
That’s where AskGrant can step in. We help landowners explore their options, understand what can be stacked and what can’t, and work out the smartest use of their land. Whether you're balancing multiple environmental aims or just want a clear strategy that works for your land and your income, we’re here to help.
