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SFI Closes in Hours: Practical Next Steps for Landowners

SFI’s September window closed within hours. We look at the uncertainty and practical habitat steps landowners in Devon and Cornwall can still consider.

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SFI Closes in Hours: Practical Next Steps for Landowners

Updated 24 September 2026. This article covers England, with practical pointers for landowners in Devon and Cornwall.

The latest closure of the Sustainable Farming Incentive has left farmers and landowners facing another round of uncertainty. When an application window lasts only a few hours, it becomes difficult to plan the work, time and investment that good land management needs.

That frustration is understandable. Farmers should be properly supported for looking after soils, water and wildlife. Smaller habitat improvements cannot replace the income or certainty that a dependable scheme should provide.

There are still worthwhile steps to consider, though. Some involve adjusting existing management. Others involve protecting what is already there, working with neighbours or preparing a project for when the right funding becomes available. The sensible starting point is what the land needs and what the business can realistically manage.

What has happened to SFI?

SFI26’s second application window opened on 22 September 2026 and closed at 3.48pm that day, less than six hours later. Defra said it had received enough applications to allocate the available budget. This was a closure to new applications, so anyone with an existing agreement should continue following its requirements. See the official SFI26 guidance.

In its 23 September update, Defra confirmed £253 million allocated through Window 2, including an additional £20 million. It plans an SFI offer in 2027 and is considering alternatives to the first-come, first-served approach.

Most unfinished applications cannot now be submitted. Limited exceptions cover assisted-digital applicants and those prevented by technical problems, provided they contacted the RPA before closure. The RPA will confirm who qualifies.

The 2026 Capital Grants round also closed on 1 September. It should not be treated as an immediately available fallback.

Six practical ways to keep habitat work moving

1. Start by understanding what you already have

A walk around the holding, a simple map and photographs can be a useful first step. Mark existing ponds, wet corners, mature hedges, old trees, rough grassland and places where water flows after rain. Repeat photographs from the same points through the seasons.

This helps identify what is worth protecting and where a small change might join habitats together. It also gives an adviser something useful to work with.

A wet corner is not automatically wasted ground. Equally, it is not automatically the right place for a new pond. Existing marsh, species-rich grassland or other valuable habitat may be better retained than excavated or planted over.

2. Review hedge and field-margin management

Where it fits the hedge, access and farm operation, cutting different sections in different years can leave more flowers, berries and shelter across the holding. Retaining a rough grassy margin can also improve the connection between a hedge, woodland edge and pond.

This is targeted management: road visibility, hedge condition, nesting wildlife and applicable cutting rules still matter. Hedgelink’s management advice explains the benefits of varied cutting and connected habitats.

Start with a manageable area and assess the practical effect before extending it. Less frequent cutting may save a pass, but leaving land out of production still has a cost.

3. Reduce avoidable pressure on pond and stream edges

Look for heavily poached banks, repeated livestock access points and places where soil washes towards water. These can be priorities for a discussion about grazing, fencing, crossings or alternative drinking arrangements.

Changes need to work for livestock welfare and day-to-day farming. They can involve infrastructure costs, so identify the problem before buying materials. Freshwater Habitats Trust’s Water Friendly Farming work includes stream-side fencing, buffers and soil management among measures used to reduce pressures on freshwater habitats.

4. Consider the right pond, rather than the biggest pond

A small pond with clean water, shallow margins and suitable surrounding habitat can be a worthwhile project. Seasonal ponds that dry out in summer can also support valuable wildlife; year-round water is not the only measure of success.

The water source, soil, existing ecology, access and future management should guide the design. Excavation depth alone will not solve an unsuitable water supply.

The Freshwater Habitats Trust pond toolkit is a useful starting point. Our wildlife ponds for landowners, farms and estates page explains how we approach practical pond projects.

5. Look at water movement across the wider site

After rainfall, observe where water gathers, where it carries sediment and where it leaves the holding. This can reveal opportunities for buffers, changes to soil management or carefully designed wetland features.

Runoff-treatment features and clean-water wildlife ponds have different jobs. Directing dirty yard water or sediment-rich field runoff into a wildlife pond can undermine the habitat you are trying to create. Pollution should be addressed at its source; a pond is not a substitute for that.

Swales, scrapes and other wetland creation and restoration work need a site-specific assessment. Watercourses, neighbours, protected habitats and downstream effects all need consideration before levels or drainage are altered.

6. Prepare a realistic, phased project

If construction needs to wait, useful preparation can still happen. Set out the intended outcome, take baseline photographs, identify likely constraints and establish a realistic scope and budget.

A phased plan might begin with protecting existing habitat, then move to funded restoration or new creation when the resources are available. Include maintenance and access in the plan, alongside the initial works.

Neighbours may also share useful knowledge, adviser contacts or opportunities to connect habitats across boundaries. Preparation cannot guarantee future funding, but it can make decisions clearer when an opportunity arises.

What other support is worth checking?

Availability depends on location, eligibility, priorities and remaining budgets. These are routes to enquire about, rather than promises of an award:

If grant support is needed, check the rules before ordering materials or starting work. Do not assume completed work can be funded retrospectively. Existing agreements, permissions and any restrictions on combining funding also need checking.

For pond-specific funding detail, see our farm pond grants guide for Devon and Cornwall, covering WN12, WBD1 and FiPL. Check current application availability before committing to a project.

A practical next step for your land

For some holdings, the right next step will be a small management change. For others, it will be holding off on expenditure while preparing a better-informed project. Both can be sensible decisions.

SAS Aquatics helps landowners across Devon and Cornwall assess, design, create and restore ponds, wetlands and associated habitats. A site assessment can consider the immediate project and opportunities across the wider holding, with practical priorities and next steps. Specialist surveys or detailed reports can be identified where needed.

If you would like to explore what is realistic for your land, send us the location, a few photographs and what you would like to achieve. Let us know whether the project depends on funding so that advice reflects your circumstances from the outset.

Funding information checked on 24 September 2026. Follow the linked official updates for subsequent changes.