Common land grazing is an important part of traditional farming in Wales. At the same time upland commons maintained by grazing are some of the best-loved Welsh landscapes, most valuable wildlife habitats and essential environments for water management. So the Glastir Common Land Element (CLE) scheme, a new 5-year agri-environment grant, is now available to grazing associations to support grazing on Welsh commons. Upland areas of shared grazing not registered as common land may also be eligible for the scheme.
In January 2011, 18 Common Land Development Officers (CDOs) were appointed all round Wales for two years to work with existing associations and graziers, and help set up new associations, to apply for Glastir CLE.
The second application window for the scheme opened on 1 March 2012. Grazing associations or lead graziers will have until 30 April 2012 to register an Expression of Interest, which will allow them to apply for a CLE contract starting at the beginning of 2013. Associations will receive an application pack after the end of June, which must be completed and returned by 31 August.
Each association, with support from their CDO, should advertise and hold an open meeting for all graziers and rights-holders. If the association decides to enter the scheme they must have the support of 80% of the active graziers on the common and must choose between two land management options: either a three-month winter clearance period or a stocking-density option, which requires the association to maintain a stocking level specific to their common. For this, the association will be paid £34 per ha plus £6 per ha (up to 500 ha) for administration.
Glastir CLE contracts will be sent to grazing associations by 30 October and must be signed and returned to Divisional Offices by 31 December, so that funding can start on 1 January 2013. By then associations must have in place a constitution and internal management agreement, for which they should seek assistance from legal professionals. CDOs can provide access to some funding to assist with this process.
With the experience they have gained working with grazing associations during the first year of the scheme, CDOs are looking forward to helping a new batch of associations apply for Glastir CLE funding during 2012. There are 18 CDOs attached to three Rural Development Agencies across Wales and anyone interested in Glastir CLE should contact either:
Cadwyn Clwyd (Powys, Monmouthshire, Flintshire, Denbighshire, Wrexham, 01824 705802)
PLANED (Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire and South Wales, 01834 860965)
Menter Mon (Ynys Mon, Gwynedd, Conwy, Ceredigion, Meirionnydd, 01248 725700)
Glastir CLE is part of the Rural Development Plan for Wales 2007–2013 and is jointly funded by the Welsh Government and European Commission.
