You can score a 'High' if your Proposal clearly contributes to published Government targets listed below:
1. Target: The encouragement of young new entrants into farming. Applications under Priorities which offer Package 3 can score a 'High'. Applications under Priorities which do not offer Package 3 but are specifically aimed at restructuring or improving the viability of the agricultural business (including diversification) will be considered for a 'High'. This is restricted to Axis 1 and Axis 3 measures.
2. Target: Activities which will bring the notified special features of 95% of Scotland's nationally important nature sites ( SSSIs, SACs, SPAs and Ramsar sites) into favourable condition, or maintain them in favourable condition.
To score a 'High', your proposal must contribute to the recovery of unfavourable features or the maintenance of favourable features, by addressing the parts of the feature that are within your control.
If a feature is in unfavourable condition, your proposal should include all the measures which are needed to address the reasons for it being unfavourable, and which are within your control.
If a feature is in favourable condition, the proposal should include all the measures which are needed to maintain this condition on your land and which are within your control.
You should try to address all the features on your land. If you are not proposing to address them all, you should explain why.
Case Officers should only assign a 'High' if this has been endorsed by the SNH Officer who has been consulted about the proposal. (The SNH Officer should confirm which features will benefit and, for each feature, whether they consider the proposal will help to maintain favourable condition or help bring in to favourable condition.)
3. Target: Woodland Expansion to Mitigate Climate Change. Creation of 2 hectares or greater to mitigate the effects of climate change will score a 'High'. This National Target will only apply to proposals where the woodland creation has been applied for via the following priorities: 14, 21 and 23.
Woodland creation can be applied for under other priorities, for example Priority 08, and will still score a 'High', but only if the area to be created is 2 hectares or greater and the value of payments for the woodland creation option exceeds 25% of the total value of payments for the whole proposal.
However, areas of less than 2 hectares will also score a 'High' if the value of payments for the Woodland Creation Options exceeds 50% of the total value of payments for the whole proposal.
4. Target: Within Scotland's Nitrate Vulnerable Zones, improved slurry storage facilities on farms where there is housed livestock as per Option requirements.
5. Target: The conservation of Red Squirrels.
Proposals which will directly benefit the population of Red Squirrels in Scotland by the control of Grey Squirrels can score a 'High' if the value of payments for the Control of Grey Squirrels Option exceeds 25% of the total value of payments for the whole proposal.
6. Target: Improvement in the quality of Scotland's surface and ground waters by reducing diffuse pollution.
The Water Framework Directive sets strict water quality targets to be achieved by 2027. Within Scotland, priority catchments have been chosen where there is a high risk of failing to achieve the Water Framework Directive's targets and also because of their risk of impacting on bathing waters, drinking water or shellfish waters.
This National Target will apply to proposals where the diffuse pollution mitigation options have been applied for under Regional Priorities 16-20.
To score a 'High', your proposal must contribute to improving water quality in one of the priority catchments. Land managers within priority catchments should already have been notified by SEPA. Further information and a list of priority catchments are available here.
To achieve the required improvements in water quality it is important that options are targeted to where they are both required and effective. Proposals must therefore be supported by a farm assessment to identify sources of diffuse pollution and target options appropriately.
Proposals should include the measures needed to address all the sources of diffuse pollution on the land holding. If you are not proposing to address them all, you should explain why.
Where diffuse pollution measures are applied for under other priorities; for a 'high' to be awarded the total expenditure on diffuse pollution mitigation measures would be expected to exceed 25% of the total value of eligible costs for the whole proposal (including any amount for leverage).
Collaborative applications
Improvements to water quality are most effective when land managers work together and options are implemented throughout a catchment. For example, where buffer strips can be put in place along the entire length of a river or burn, collaborative working is strongly encouraged to achieve this.
7. Target: Increasing the Area of Organically Managed Farmland in Scotland
This target applies to proposals that include the Conversion and Maintenance of Organic Farming option.
Proposals that include the 'organic conversion' sub option will score a 'High' if at least 25% of the applicant's permanently held land will be managed as per the option requirements.
Proposals that include the 'organic maintenance' sub option will score a 'High' if at least 75% of the applicant's organically certified land that is eligible for maintenance will be managed as per the option requirements.
Other Government targets may be added during the lifetime of the SRDP.