When DEFRA took the decision to abandon set aside in the summer of 2009 it did so on the basis that farmers would voluntarily replace the lost habitats which set aside had created.

"Hilary Benn gave warning that if these habitats were lost then compulsory set aside would once again rear its head," explains Trevor Sheard Balfours, farm business adviser. However he is quick to add that if set aside were reintroduced there is no guarantee that there will be any compensation available for the loss of production.

He continues: "One of the tools farmers and landowners have at their disposal to aid this voluntary initiative is the ELS and HLS schemes. There are many ELS agreements which will be coming up for renewal in 2010 as their five year term is completed. A tremendous amount of environmental benefits have been gained during those five years by ELS and it would be a great pity if this were lost.

"There have been significant changes to the options available under ELS since its inception in 2005, notably the ending of Management agreements. New options will need to be found to replace these which is where the ‘voluntary initiative' - now called the campaign for the farm environment - comes in."

Trevor reassures: "There are many new options to chose from which need not impinge too much on the farming practices.

"If set aside were to be reintroduced it may well be without compensation for the loss of production. This would have a much more dramatic effect than entering a stewardship scheme. With an ELS in place then at least it offers an income and when spread over the land taken out of production it can produce an income per acre which will at least match most farming enterprises."

In addition, there is the opportunity to add on an HLS agreement offering further opportunities for the enhancement of the environment and perhaps in restructuring the business. "Environmental schemes and their associated payments have become a major enterprise in their own right and need to be considered as such," adds Trevor.

Peter Wright and Trevor Sheard of Balfours have applied environmental schemes to more than 100,000, acres and therefore have significant experience into how best to implement these schemes. "We work with the farmer and the Natural England advisers to work up schemes which are of real benefit to all parties," adds Trevor.