Protected landscape scheme opens on South Downs
Cuckmere Valley at dawn © Guy Edwardes Farmers in the South Downs National Park (SDNP) have been urged to apply for funding that could improve business resilience and help the environment.
The funding is available under Defra’s Farming In Protected Landscapes (FIPL) programme (see panel), which supports projects that:
- Promote enterprise and farm diversification
- Support nature recovery
- Mitigate the impacts of climate change
- Provide opportunities for people to engage with landscape and cultural heritage
- Support nature-friendly, sustainable farm businesses
See also: How protected landscapes scheme is funding farm improvements
The FIPL is available to farms in England’s 44 protected landscapes, which include national parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).
More than 1,000 projects have already benefited from the programme since it was launched in July 2021.
Of these, 71 have been in the SDNP, securing a share of almost £1m of funding to date.
Projects that have already secured financial backing within the park area include installing 300 on-farm wild bird feeders and a 24-hour milk vending machine.
Other successes in the SDNP since the FIPL began 16 months ago include:
- More than 3,600m of hedgerow planted
- Almost 10ha of woodland improved to attract more wildlife
- 38 carbon storage projects
- 2,300ha of land at Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), and 600ha outside SSSIs, enhanced to support biodiversity
- More than 4,300ha managed with regenerative farming techniques to improve soil quality and carbon sequestration
- 40-plus projects to support public education on farming and landscape issues.
Nigel James, who leads the farming team at the National Park, said that about 70% of the South Downs National Parkway was farmland.
“I can’t stress enough how important farmers are to the stewardship of this incredible landscape,” he said.
“Funding is available through to March 2024 and we’re looking forward to hearing from more farmers and land managers.
“We’d be particularly interested to hear about potential projects around enterprise and diversification, as well as those delivering nature-friendly farming and climate action,” he said.
How to apply
Successful applicants can get up to 100% of a project’s costs if the project does not yield a commercial gain for the business.
Funding for projects that do generate an income will be allotted at a proportion of the costs.
Unlike some government schemes, the programme is not prescriptive. Instead applicants are encouraged to look to their needs and come up with a suitable project.
Applications should be submitted to a local assessment panel, predominantly made up of farmers, that decides which projects should be supported.
The panel’s decision will be based on guidance from Defra and the project’s relevance to the National Park’s partnership management plan.
For more information visit the SDNP website.
Application forms can be requested by emailing farming@southdowns.gov.uk
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