Natural England ‘land grab’ threatens Cornish livelihoods
Grade 4 soil at Land Vue Farm © Western Waste Farmers in Cornwall have accused Natural England of putting their livelihoods at risk over plans to designate land used for growing food crops as a site of special scientific interest (SSSI).
Stephen and Vivian Cock, owners of Land Vue Farm, in Newbridge, have been informed by Natural England that it wants to designate up to one-third of their land, which is used for arable cropping, an SSSI.
They farm around 162ha in the Penzance area near Land’s End and if the designation is approved, they will have to cut production over 40ha on one farm and 10ha on another.
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Stephen said the land in question had been farmed by his father, Vivian, 83, since the mid-1970s.
Vivian Cock © Western Waste
The farmers received a letter from Natural England in August, notifying them that the legal process to designate land within Penwith Moors, Cornwall, as a SSSI under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, is due to start this October.
During this period, there will be a four-month public consultation and the farmers will have the opportunity to submit any formal representations.
No compensation
Stephen said Natural England’s formal request to designate part of his land as a SSSI came after officials visited his farm “out of the blue” earlier this year.
“They are not planning to give us any financial compensation. There’s no subsidy – nothing,” he said. “We are not huge farmers by any means. How are we supposed to make a living?”
Much of the land is Grade 4 arable on granite, growing crops for London markets, cauliflower, potatoes, broccoli, fodder beet and temporary silage for leys.
Around 12ha is currently planted with daffodil bulbs, an important crop that provides labour and revenue for the Cornish economy.
Currently, Mr Cock accepts unwanted shell waste from West Country fishing businesses, which he spreads on the land as a slow-release, natural fertiliser. He pays about £10,000 a year for a licence to spread the shells.
All this would have to stop if the land is made a SSSI.
Soils tested
The farmers say all crops and grassland is subject to strict nutrient rules in line with the AHDB Nutrient Management Guide (RB209) and fields are soil tested by a FACTS qualified adviser to avoid oversupply of nutrients.
This is an additional security to nitrate vulnerable zone (NVZ) legislation, which this parcel of land did not qualify for.
“If Natural England was so concerned about the conservation, this area would have been put in an NVZ a long time ago and the nitrates would be restricted and monitored,” Stephen said.
He believes Natural England should not be allowed to take good arable land out of production, especially considering the war in Ukraine and pressures on global food supplies.
“I’m baffled as to how on earth they can do something like this in this modern age and in a democratic society,” he said.
SSSI area extension
Edward Richardson is head of Farm Cornwall, which supports farmers in Cornwall and is funded by the Prince’s Countryside Fund.
He explained that Natural England is planning to put a bigger zone around the original SSSI or new SSSI and it has been contacting farmers on an individual basis, rather than collectively to work together.
“This whole area used to be in an ESA [Environmental Sensitive Area], but Defra did away with this and did not replace it properly with HLS [Higher Level Stewardship]. They have realised the area needs to be protected,” said Mr Richardson.
“This area is now being used as productive farmland to grow crops, such as daffodils and potatoes and grass leys. Farmers feel like this is being imposed on them and they do not know where to go to next.
“Does the SFI [Sustainable Farming Incentive] fit it? Not really, at £28/ha. The bigger schemes which really could be used to protect this area, such as Landscape Recovery and Local Nature Recovery, are not available yet.”
Natural England says Penwith Moors SSSI is proposed to be around 3,150ha in extent and would have more than 200 landowners and other occupiers.
‘We must act to protect areas of special interest’ – Natural England
Natural England told Farmers Weekly it has a duty under the Wildlife and Countryside Act to designate any area of land that, in its opinion, is of “special interest” for its wildlife (flora and fauna), geology or landform.
The Penwith Moors has habitats that support species of national importance, including a population of breeding Dartford warbler, an assemblage of invertebrates associated with heathland vegetation, rare plants and an assemblage of lichens associated with the granite tors that characterise Penwith’s iconic landscape.
It is therefore critical that farming activities in the catchment do not lead to levels of nitrogen loss into the groundwater, as this would have an impact on sensitive wetland features.
Wesley Smyth, Natural England area manager, said: “Penwith Moors is being proposed as a site of special scientific interest (SSSI) given its national importance for its heathland, wetland and grassland, which support a range of rare species.
“The protection of these special sites is not incompatible with viable farming businesses and we recognise the vital role farmers play in their future management.
“We also understand that any changes will create concerns for land managers. This is why there is a four-month period for anyone affected to make their views known before a final decision is taken. At Penwith Moors we will work closely with all land managers to identify how they can continue to farm while supporting the site’s special features for future generations.”
Natural England confirmed that financial compensation will not be available for a SSSI status being conferred and land does not change ownership.
However, landowners could benefit from entering the land into the current Countryside Stewardship scheme or in the Environmental Land Management (ELM) scheme currently under development.