AHW5 · SFI 2026 · Farmland wildlife (arable / horticultural)
Nesting plots for lapwing
£765 per hectare, per year
Runs for 3 years.
Rotational or static — your choice whether it moves or stays in the same place.
Where it applies
Arable, Temporary grassland
Eligibility conditions
- Below the moorland line
- Land you identify as NOT at risk of soil erosion or surface runoff — keep evidence
- Plots must be ~100m from woods, trees, buildings, power lines, main roads and rights of way, and ~200m from wind turbines
- Areas with historic or archaeological features are ineligible
What you'll do
Create fallow cultivated plots within an arable crop by early spring, with bare and broken ground for nesting lapwing, and leave them undisturbed through the nesting season until the summer harvest.
Evidence to keep
- Written evidence the land isn't at risk of soil erosion or run-off
- A dated record of when the plots were cultivated
- Dated photos of the plots through the nesting season
When
- Feb–Mar: Cultivate the fallow plots by early spring (first year)
Combining with other actions
Actions that can be paid on the same area:
- SFI 2026: AHW6, AHW7, CSAM2, OFC3, OFC4, OFM4, OFM5, PRF1, PRF2, PRF4, SOH1
- SFI 2024: AHW6, AHW7, CIPM1, CNUM1, CSAM1, CSAM2, OFC3, OFC4, OFM4, OFM5, PRF1, PRF2, PRF4, SOH1
- SFI 2023: IPM1, IPM4, NUM1, SAM1
- CS Higher Tier: CAB2, CAB6, CSP13, CSP14, CSP15, CSP20, CSP21, CSP9, CWS1, CWS3
- Countryside Stewardship: AB2, AB6, AB11, AB14, AB15, HS3, HS9, OR3, OR4, OT3, OT4
Checked against GOV.UK Find Funding for Land or Farms on 10 July 2026. Read the official AHW5 guidance on GOV.UK.
All actions