Environment Land Management System (ELMS) – is it on track?
The Environment Land Management System (ELMS) will form the basis of agricultural policy in England, replacing direct payments made through the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) with an environmental scheme paying public money for public goods.
Work on the design of ELMS is well under way, and involves a process of Pioneers, tests and trials and a national pilot over the next 4-6 years.
The national pilot is due to start in October 2021, with the first payments made to land managers in December 2021.
Defra originally said it would set out its payment methodology in March 2020 and its payment rates in June 2020, but neither have been published to date.
Our latest paper summarises progress in developing ELMS under the following sections:
25-Year Environment Plan Pioneers (2016 – 2024)
o The Pioneers and ELMS
o Integrated Local Planning and Delivery
o Area Integrated Plans
Tests and trials (2019 – 2024)
o Payments by results projects (2016 – 2020)
o Review of Countryside Stewardship Facilitation Fund shows it has a range of positive benefits
National pilot (late 2021 – 2024)
o Can Defra design and implement the new ELMS within the 10 years it has given itself?
o How payments under ELMS will be decided
