Hedgerows and buffer strips in SFI26: CHRW2, CAHL4 and the rules to record

What SFI26 pays for hedgerows (CHRW2), walls and banks, and buffer strips (CAHL4, CIGL3, BFS1, BFS6): rates, cutting rules, widths and evidence.

Last checked against gov.uk25 October 2026

Written by: The AgriSync team
Published: 25 October 2026
Reading time: 6 minutes

Applies to SFI26 agreements in England. SFI26 is closed for applications; this explains the offer as published.

Short answer

In SFI26, CHRW2 pays £13 per 100 metres a year to manage one side of an eligible hedge. Cut it in rotation, or a little at a time, in autumn and winter. Grass buffer strips pay per hectare: CAHL4 £515 on arable land, CIGL3 £235 on improved grassland, BFS1 £707 and BFS6 £742 beside watercourses. All stay in one place.

What do SFI26 hedgerow, boundary and buffer strip actions pay?

SFI26 boundary and buffer strip actions (rates per year), from Annex A of the SFI26 scheme rules
Code	Action	Rate
CHRW2	Manage hedgerows	£13 per 100m for one side
BND1	Maintain dry stone walls	£27 per 100m for both sides
BND2	Maintain earth banks or stone-faced hedgebanks	£11 per 100m for one side
CAHL4	4m to 12m grass buffer strip on arable and horticultural land	£515 per hectare
CIGL3	4m to 12m grass buffer strip on improved grassland	£235 per hectare
BFS1	12m to 24m watercourse buffer strip on cultivated land	£707 per hectare
BFS6	6m to 12m habitat strip next to watercourses	£742 per hectare

SFI26 boundary and buffer strip actions (rates per year), from Annex A of the SFI26 scheme rules

All seven are static. That means they stay in the same place every year of the 3-year action (SFI26 actions (opens in a new tab)). None of them is on the scheme's list of limited-area actions. So they don't count towards the 25% limit (scheme rules, table 2 (opens in a new tab)). WBD3 in-field grass strips is a different action, and it is limited.

Which hedgerows are eligible for CHRW2?

The CHRW2 action page (opens in a new tab) says an eligible hedgerow must be a boundary line of shrubs, or shrubs and trees. It must be over 20m long and less than 10m wide. It can be newly planted, laid or coppiced. It can also be woody growth on top of a bank, such as a Cornish or Devon hedge.

Gaps are allowed if each is no more than 20m long. Together they must add up to no more than 10% of the hedge's length.
Do the gaps add up to more than 10%? Then you can only enter the full length if you plant up the gaps during the 3 years.
If you look after one side only, you enter one side. If you control both sides, you can usually choose. But you must enter both if you coppice or lay the hedge.

When and how often can I cut an SFI26 hedgerow?

A hedge is usually fully established about 5 years after planting. For these hedges, the CHRW2 action (opens in a new tab) gives four ways to manage them. You can use different ones on different hedges:

CHRW2 management approaches for fully established hedgerows
Approach	When
Cut each hedgerow incrementally	Autumn and winter (usually September to late February), each year
Cut no more than once every 3 years, no more than a third of hedges each year	Autumn and winter
Cut no more than once every 2 years, no more than half the hedges each year	Late winter (usually early January to late February)
Coppicing or laying rotation	May mean the hedge is left uncut for the whole 3-year agreement

CHRW2 management approaches for fully established hedgerows

Young hedges that are not fully established need a light trim each year of the action. Trim them a little at a time, in autumn and winter.

How do I measure hedge length for SFI26?

Measure it yourself on the ground. The action page says it is your job to enter the right length. It also says "we do not use the hedgerow lengths shown on your digital maps in your SFI application" (CHRW2 (opens in a new tab)). The scheme rules also say you don't need to check or update the hedge lengths on your digital maps before you apply (section 7.2 (opens in a new tab)).

What are the rules for SFI26 grass buffer strips?

Key rules for SFI26 buffer strips, summarised from each action page
Action	Width paid	Where	Must not
CAHL4	At least 4m to 12m on average per parcel; paid up to 12m	Edge of arable or horticultural land, buffering a feature such as a hedgerow, wall, woodland, ditch or watercourse	Regular vehicle access, turning or storage; fertiliser or manure; pesticides except weed wiping or spot treatment
CIGL3	At least 4m to 12m on average per parcel; paid up to 12m	Edge of improved grassland, buffering a feature	Cut for hay or silage; regular vehicle access or storage; fertiliser or manure
BFS1	At least 12m and up to 24m on average; paid up to 24m	Alongside a ditch, pond, river or stream on cultivated land	Let livestock in; regular vehicle access or storage; fertiliser or manure
BFS6	At least 6m and up to 12m on average; paid up to 12m	Buffering a ditch, river, stream or canal, with trees and scrub regenerating or planted	Let livestock in; hard standing or mown access routes parallel to the water; fertiliser or manure

Key rules for SFI26 buffer strips, summarised from each action page

Each strip must be set up in the first 12 months and kept for the rest of the action. For CAHL4 and BFS1, cut part of the strip's width next to the crop in late summer. Do it after the bird breeding season. A strip must be on top of any buffer strip the law already asks for (SFI26 actions (opens in a new tab)).

To work out the area, measure the strip's length in metres. Multiply by its width. Then divide by 10,000 to get hectares.

What evidence should I keep for hedges and strips?

“You must keep evidence to show what you've done to complete this action, such as: field operations at a land parcel level and associated invoices; photographs or other documentation”

SFI26 actions (print version), CHRW2 evidence to keep

Your hedge measurements, and which side or sides you entered.
Cutting dates for each hedge, and which hedges were cut each year if you work on a rotation.
Contractor invoices for hedge cutting, laying, gapping up or strip establishment.
Seed invoices and drilling dates for buffer strips, and the late-summer cut.
Dated photos taken in the field, before and after the work.

Keep it all for at least 7 years after your agreement ends (scheme rules, section 12.4 (opens in a new tab)). See SFI evidence: what to keep and what to expect from an RPA inspection.

Common questions

Can I enter both sides of a hedge that borders a road or a neighbour?

Only if you have management control of both sides. The CHRW2 action says that means two things. You have a legal right or duty to look after the hedge. And you can meet the action's rules.

Can I be paid for a buffer strip I already have?

Yes, if it meets the action's rules. It must not already be paid for under another scheme option, such as Countryside Stewardship (CS) option SW1 for CAHL4.

Can I stack a buffer strip on top of a hedgerow action?

Each action page lists what can go on the same area. CHRW2 says all SFI 2026 actions except BND1 can go in fields with hedges entered into it.

Does my hedge have to be cut every year?

No. Under CHRW2 you can cut on a 2- or 3-year rotation. Or you can coppice or lay hedges. That may mean leaving them uncut for the whole agreement.

Sources

Every source was checked on 25 October 2026. If something has changed, tell us at info@agrisync.co.uk.

1.SFI26 actions (print version) (opens in a new tab), GOV.UKv2.0, June 2026 (page updated 23 September 2026)
2.SFI26: scheme rules and guidance (opens in a new tab), GOV.UKv4.0, August 2026 (page updated 23 September 2026)

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