Slurry Infrastructure Grant Round Two Open For Applications

Defra has announced a further £74 million to help dairy, beef and pig farmers in England invest in improved slurry infrastructure to tackle water pollution and improve air quality. This round of funding is more than double that of the first round to meet increased demand.

The grant is available to help replace, build additional, expand or cover existing slurry stores to reach the grant storage requirements. Applicants must already produce slurry in their farming system to be suitable to apply.

Eligible slurry stores include tanks, lagoons and concrete stores fitted with impermeable covers and large permanent bags. You must fit grant funded stores with an impermeable cover, unless you are installing a slurry bag or you treat your slurry through acidification.

The grant will also fund items to help manage slurry store, such as reception pits, slurry pumps and agitators.

Both land owning and tenant farmers can apply. However, the slurry store must be built on land owned or farmed as a tenant.

Farmers will be able to use the grant to fund:

• Above-ground steel slurry stores
• Precast circular concrete slurry stores
• Earth bank lagoons, with or without synthetic liner
• Stores using precast rectangular concrete panels
• In-situ cast reinforced concrete stores
• Large volume supported slurry bags (over 2,500 cubic metres (m³))

You can also use the grant to pay for fixed or floating flexible covers, as well as additional items for your grant funded slurry store, such as:

• A slurry separator, gantry and temporary storage for the stackable material from the separator
• A reception pit
• Electric-powered slurry transfer pump
• Powered take off (PTO) or hydraulically driven chopper pump
• Galvanised steel pipework 100mm or 150mm diameter
• Polyethylene (PE) or equivalent pipework 100mm or 150mm diameter
• Under-floor transfer channels
• Slurry store wall or in-situ mixers
• Inspection platform with ladder for above-ground concrete and steel slurry stores
• Safety fencing for stores constructed below ground level, earth-bank lagoons and slurry bags

The application is a three-stage process starting with an online eligibility checker. If you are shortlisted you will then need to complete a slurry store location and design assessment form, which will be assessed by the Environment Agency to ensure you meet the grant storage requirements and regulations. If the design is confirmed as satisfactory you will then be asked to submit a full application.

To find more about the Slurry Infrastructure Grant and the opportunities that it offers, please contact:

Maisie Evans in our Shrewsbury office on 07825 082540 or via email maisie.evans@berrys.uk.com

Guy Banham in our Kettering office on 07971 917984 or via email guy.banham@berrys.uk.com

Sarah Meredith in our Hereford office on 07799 902948 or via email sarah.meredith@berrys.uk.com

Tom Harris in our Towcester office on 07747 567910 or via email tom.harris@berrys.uk.com