WIREDGOV

Natural England is providing free online information sessions on the new 3-Tier Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) application process, all available from the comfort of your own home or office.

The ‘webinars’ are designed for land agents or anyone interested in the new method of assessing HLS applications. All you need to take part in the webinars is access to the internet and a telephone.

Each information session will cover the background on the 3-Tier HLS process and how each of the ‘Fast-track’, ‘Standard’ and ‘Complex’ tiers will be assessed. There will also be an opportunity to ask questions.

The new 3-Tier system has been brought in to help to make the HLS application process more streamlined and efficient for its farming customers.

To register for one of the webinars or for further information please call 0300 060 1695, or email farmevents@naturalengland.org.uk, and quote the reference and date provided below:

NEME848 – 19th August 2011
NEME849 – 2nd September 2011

Each session will start at 09:30 am and will last approximately 1 hour. Once registered, you will receive easy telephone and online joining instructions.

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Notes to Editors:

For further information (media enquiries only), please contact: Christine White, Natural England press office on 0300 0601302. Out of hours please call the Duty Press Officer on 07970 098005.

For further information about Natural England please visit: www.naturalengland.org.uk

About HLS 3-Tier

1. From 1st July 2011, all new HLS applications will be assigned by Natural England to one of three tiers depending on the complexity of a holding.  The three tiers are:

• Fast track – FEP produced in-house by Natural England and suitable for holdings where only one adviser visit is required.

• Standard – FEP produced by external FEP surveyors and/or third party agents and suitable for all other holdings and where a maximum of two visits by a Natural England adviser is required.

• Complex – FEP produced by external FEP surveyors and/or third party agents and suitable for the most complex holdings. Complex cases may, due to their nature, require up to four adviser visits. 

2. The changes will deliver benefits to potential applicants and agents/FEP surveyors, including:

• Shorter turnaround times for applications

• No FEP costs for Fast-track customers

• Applicants get the most appropriate level of advice

• Detailed advice provided to applicant’s agents through individual contact with Natural England advisers.

3. Anyone who would like further information about the new system can email their queries to:3-TierHLS@naturalengland.org.uk

About Natural England
Natural England is the government’s independent adviser on the natural environment. Established in 2006 our work is focused on enhancing England’s wildlife and landscapes and maximising the benefits they bring to the public.

• We establish and care for England’s main wildlife and geological sites, ensuring that over 4,000 National Nature Reserves and Sites of Special Scientific Interest are looked after and improved.

• We work to ensure that England’s landscapes are effectively protected, designating England’s National Parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Marine Conservation Zones, and advising widely on their conservation.

• We run Environmental Stewardship and other green farming schemes that deliver over £400 million a year to farmers and landowners, enabling them to enhance the natural environment across two thirds of England’s farmland.

• We fund, manage, and provide scientific expertise for hundreds of conservation projects each year, improving the prospects for thousands of England’s species and habitats.

• We promote access to the wider countryside, helping establish National Trails and coastal trails and ensuring that the public can enjoy and benefit from them.