The Environmentally Sensitive Areas (Somerset Levels and Moors) Designation Order 1992

Article 6(2)

SCHEDULE 2 ADDITIONAL PROVISIONS—I

As regards any land which is the subject of an agreement–

1.  The farmer shall not use a chain harrow or roller between 31st March and 1st July in any year;

2.  The farmer shall not increase existing application rates of inorganic fertiliser and shall not in any event apply more than 25 kilogrammes of nitrogen, 12.5 kilogrammes of phosphate and 12.5 kilogrammes of potash per hectare per year;

3.  Where land has not been used solely for grazing, the farmer shall mow at least one third of the area of land each year (or shall mow the whole of the area during one year in every three years) but shall not do so before 1st July in any year and shall not graze the land before laying it up;

4.  The farmer shall not cut or top the grass after 31st August in any year;

5.  The farmer shall not graze with sheep between 1st September in any year and the following 1st March;

6.  The farmer shall not use herbicides to control creeping buttercup;

7.  The farmer shall ensure that water levels in ditches and rhynes are maintained at or above the established penning level or at not more than 45 centimetres below mean field level, whichever is the higher, from 1st April until 31st October in any year. He shall maintain water levels at or above the established winter level, from 1st November in any year until 31st March in the following year. The farmer shall maintain a minimum level of 30 centimetres of water in the bottom of ditches and rhynes at all times.