Three example holdings
Indicative figures for a small, medium, and large holding under each governance and surplus model. Illustrative only.
How to read these examples
These three examples are illustrative. They show the rough shape of the income stack at three different holding sizes — a small holding (50 hectares), a medium holding (150 hectares), and a large holding (350 hectares) — with land mixes typical for the Ure catchment.
None of these examples corresponds to a specific holding in the . Real holdings vary on land type, restoration depth, tenure, and engagement; actual payments are bespoke and negotiated per holding during the . Use these as the rough shape of the conversation, not as a prediction.
For your own holding, the interactive income calculator takes your specific hectarage and land type and produces a more tailored indicative range.
Reading note.Per-hectare LRS ranges below are drawn from the same indicative bands DEFRA uses in round-two applicant guidance: £200–£900 per hectare per year, varying by land type. Surplus-share figures assume a £400k distributable scheme surplus — the working figure used in the model documents. Shared-services savings are early-stage estimates; the actual figure depends on what services the bundles.
Small holding (50 ha)
Mostly upland grassland with some in-bye and a small amount of peat or wetland
DEFRA payment
Per-hectare range: £250–£450 per hectare per year.
Annual range for this size: £12,500–£22,500 per year.
Over 20 years (without inflation adjustment): £250,000–£450,000.
Trustmark tier path
Bronze in Year 1; potential Silver from Year 5 if delivery is consistent and the landowner takes one engagement role on a working group or peer-mentoring rota.
Surplus share — under each model
- Model C (often chosen): Indicatively £4,000–£6,000 per year at steady state. Under Model C, share is weighted by hectarage × tier multiplier × engagement; a Bronze-tier 50ha holding receives the lowest aggregate share but every member receives some.
- Model A (pure reinvestment): £0 — no direct cash distribution. Indirect benefit via and scheme-level reserves.
- Model E (reserve + cap): Indicatively £2,000–£4,000 per year above the cap, in years where surplus exceeds the resilience floor.
- Models B and D are not shown line-by-line; B's match-funding amount depends on holding investment, D's direct producer share is zero by design (community-fund pathway).
Shared services saving
Estimated £3,000 per year from pooled procurement, vet, insurance, and admin.
Notes
For a smaller holding, shared-services savings are often the most predictable cash benefit. The DEFRA payment is the largest line; the trustmark and surplus add smaller but meaningful tops.
Medium holding (150 ha)
Mixed upland with significant peat or blanket bog, woodland fragments, and farmed grassland
DEFRA Landscape Recovery payment
Per-hectare range: £350–£600 per hectare per year.
Annual range for this size: £52,500–£90,000 per year.
Over 20 years (without inflation adjustment): £1,050,000–£1,800,000.
Trustmark tier path
Bronze in Year 1; Silver achievable in Year 3–5 with consistent delivery against a moderately ambitious plan; Gold in Year 7+ if the holding takes a leading role on cross-holding work.
Surplus share — under each model
- Model C (often chosen): Indicatively £15,000–£25,000 per year at steady state, depending on tier and engagement. Mid-range hectarage with rising tier multiplier as the holding progresses.
- Model A (pure reinvestment): £0 direct; the indirect benefit is larger in absolute terms because more of the scheme's reinvested surplus flows back into shared services and reserves the holding draws on.
- Model E (reserve + cap): Indicatively £8,000–£15,000 per year above the cap.
- Models B and D are not shown line-by-line; B's match-funding amount depends on holding investment, D's direct producer share is zero by design (community-fund pathway).
Shared services saving
Estimated £5,000–£7,000 per year.
Notes
The medium holding is the modal case for the Ure Dales scheme. The DEFRA payment plus surplus share plus shared-services saving can make a material difference to the holding's overall finances; trustmark premium-market access adds further upside if the holding's produce profile aligns with premium buyers.
Large holding (350 ha)
Predominantly deep peat and blanket bog moorland, with substantial in-bye and lower farmed pasture
DEFRA Landscape Recovery payment
Per-hectare range: £500–£800 per hectare per year.
Annual range for this size: £175,000–£280,000 per year.
Over 20 years (without inflation adjustment): £3,500,000–£5,600,000.
Trustmark tier path
Bronze in Year 1; Silver in Year 3 with deeper-than-baseline delivery; Gold in Year 6–8 if the holding's restoration depth, governance contribution, and stewardship breadth match the Gold criteria.
Surplus share — under each model
- Model C (often chosen): Indicatively £40,000–£70,000 per year at steady state. Higher hectarage drives a larger share even at the same tier; if the holding reaches Gold, the multiplier compounds.
- Model A (pure reinvestment): £0 direct.
- Model E (reserve + cap): Indicatively £25,000–£40,000 per year above the cap.
- Models B and D are not shown line-by-line; B's match-funding amount depends on holding investment, D's direct producer share is zero by design (community-fund pathway).
Shared services saving
Estimated £8,000 per year, capped to avoid disproportionate scheme-level cost.
Notes
Large holdings have the highest absolute payments but also carry the largest delivery weight and the deepest restoration commitments. The DEFRA payment is dominant; the trustmark and surplus represent meaningful additions but not the bulk of the income stack.
What these examples don’t show
Three things the table format above necessarily simplifies:
- Carbon credit income. Where a holding has substantial peat or new woodland, voluntary carbon credit income ( or ) is potentially available subject to DEFRA’s rules. The carbon credits page covers the detail. For the largest holdings, this can add a meaningful additional line at the upper end.
- Premium market access.The trustmark’s primary value is recognition and market access, not direct revenue. For holdings with produce that aligns with premium buyers (regenerative meat, hay-meadow products, farm-stay tourism), the trustmark can add tier-driven income beyond the surplus share. This is highly variable and not modelled here.
- Tenancy splits. For tenanted holdings, the figures above are aggregate. The actual income flow between landowner and tenant follows the conventions described on the tenanted holdings page— commonly a 50/50 or 70/30 (tenant/landowner) split for tenancies; splits are contract-led.
What this means for your holding
The income shape changes over the 20 years. DEFRA payments are largest in Years 1–5, when the scheme is establishing baseline delivery. The trustmark, premium market access, and surplus distribution build through Years 5–10 as the scheme matures. Shared-services savings start in Year 1 and stay roughly constant. The timeline page sets out the full phasing.
Where this connects on the site
- Income calculator— for tailored figures using your own hectarage and land type.
- Landowner benefits— the qualitative case for joining.
- Surplus distribution— the five models in detail.
- Income treatment reference— tax handling of each income type.
- Tenanted holdings— how income splits work where there is a tenancy.
Question about how the figures might apply to your own holding? Email the Consortium facilitator directly at contact form or use the contact page. We usually reply within one working day.