The SFGS Farmland Premium Scheme 2003

Requirements for persons taking part in the Scheme

8.  An applicant shall undertake to the Scottish Ministers that the applicant, or the executors of the applicant, will–

(a) carry out the work described in the conversion plan relating to the land which the application concerns, within the times and in the manner specified in the plan and to the satisfaction of the Scottish Ministers;

(b) maintain any converted land forming part of that land in accordance with good forestry practice, to the satisfaction of the Scottish Ministers–

(i) in the case of a converted land which in the Scottish Ministers' view consists of 50 per cent or less by area of broadleaved trees or eligible Scots Pine or a combination thereof, throughout the period of 20 years, commencing on the first day after the end of the year in which the planting of trees on the plantation concerned is completed or, as the case may be, in which the work necessary to encourage natural regeneration of trees on land comprised in the plantation concerned is completed; or

(ii) in the case of converted land which in the Scottish Ministers' view consists of more than 50 per cent by area of broadleaved trees or eligible Scots Pine or a combination thereof, throughout the period of 30 years, commencing as aforesaid;

(c) not put any such converted land to agricultural use during the period mentioned in sub paragraph (b) above, other than the harvesting of an agricultural crop grown as a result of planting woodland by sowing a mixture of tree seeds and seeds of an agricultural crop;

(d) not manage any such converted land as coppice during that period;

(e) not use the trees on any such converted land, other than nurse trees, as Christmas trees during that period;

(f) remove any trees specified in the conversion plan to be nurse trees within 10 years of planting;

(g) comply with any requirement by reference to which grant may be paid under this Scheme included in the Rural Development Plan approved in accordance with Council Regulation 1257/99;

(h) except in the case of a common grazing, notify the Scottish Ministers in writing–

(i) of any change in occupation of the eligible land or the converted land which the applicant or the applicant’s executors occupy within three months of its occurrence;

(ii) of the termination of the agricultural business carried on by him or her, or them on the holding which includes that converted land;

(i) except in the case of a common grazing, furnish such information as to the agricultural business carried on by the applicant or the applicant’s executors on the holding which includes converted land which the applicant or the applicant’s executors occupy, and as to that converted land, as the Scottish Ministers may require to evaluate the effectiveness of this Scheme; and

(j) in relation to a common grazing, furnish such information as to that common grazing or, as the case may be, the converted land thereon, or as to the applicant’s or the applicant’s executor’s activities in connection with that common grazing, as the Scottish Ministers may require to evaluate the effectiveness of this Scheme.