Farming in Protected Landscapes in the Forest of Bowland

Last updated 21st November 2024.

** UPDATE 02/09/2024: The Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL) programme is now fully allocated for this final year in the Forest of Bowland National Landscape. Please see below for more information**

Protected Landscapes - our National Parks and National Landscapes - are special and unique places. They are living, working landscapes that also support a huge range of habitats and species, and they are enjoyed by millions of people every year. By supporting the farmers, land managers and people who live and work in these areas, we can help protect these exceptional places and support local communities.

To help do this, Defra is introducing the Farming in Protected Landscapes Programme, which will run from July 2021 to March 2025.

Firber House, Rimington and Twiston Moors beneath Pendle Hill by Graham Cooper

Overview

Eligibility

What the Programme Will Pay For

Case Studies

Payment Rates

Maintenance Agreements

How to Apply

Application Assessment

Useful Links

Overview

Through the programme, farmers and land managers can be supported to carry out projects that support nature recovery, mitigate the impacts of climate change, provide opportunities for people to discover, enjoy and understand the landscape and cultural heritage, or support nature-friendly, sustainable farm businesses. This is a programme of funding for one-off projects covering these areas of work, not an agri-environment scheme.

The programme is part of Defra’s Agricultural Transition Plan which is committed to help farmers and land managers deliver against the four outcomes explained below, in a holistic approach. It has been developed by Defra with the support of a group of National Landscape and National Park staff from across the country. In the Forest of Bowland National Landscape we have a dedicated team in place who will be managing the programme. 

In the Forest of Bowland National Landscape, we have received a huge response to the programme since it opened in July 2021, with over 300 expressions of interest submitted. We have supported £3.5 million through successful projects and now have 140  projects completed or underway. 

Due to the project ending in March 2025 and the huge demand, our budget is now allocated. We anticipate there may be some underspend which could be put towards new projects, however this cannot be guaranteed.

We want to make you aware so that you can begin to explore and look at other avenues of funding and grants. Please see the following document linked here which contains some useful links and contacts to begin this process. 

We also want to make you aware that our roles within the Farming in Protected Landscapes team are continuing on an advisory basis, therefore we still would recommend completing an Expression of Interest form and once we reach your name on the list, we will be in contact and may be able to assist further with signposting to other grants available to you.

If you have any further questions, please contact the FiPL team on bowlandfipl@lancashire.gov.uk

Click this link to see a list of the successful projects so far. 

Eligibility

The Farming in Protected Landscapes programme is open to all farmers and land managers (including from the private, public and charity sector) in a National Park,  National Landscape or the Norfolk Broads – or where activity on the ground can bring benefit to one or more of those areas.

You must manage all the land included in the application, and have control of all the activities you’d like to undertake, or you must have written consent from all parties who have this management and control.

Other organisations and individuals can apply, as long as they do this in collaboration with a farmer or land manager, or in support of a farmer or group of farmers.

Bumble Bee and Yellow Rattle - C PerryCommon land is eligible for support through the Programme. You can apply as a landowner with sole rights, or as a group of commoners acting together.

The programme supports activity on any land within the Forest of Bowland National Landscape.  It can also support activity on other land where projects can demonstrate benefit to the Forest of Bowland National Landscape's objectives or partnership initiatives. Most of the funding will probably be provided to projects within the Forest of Bowland National Landscape boundary.

You can see the boundary by visiting the MAGIC mapping website. Click on ‘designations’, ‘land-based designations’ and then ‘Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty England.’ Or view the image at the bottom of the page.

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What the Programme Will Pay For

The Farming in Protected Landscapes Programme will pay for projects that, in the opinion of the Local Assessment Panel (see ‘Application assessment’ below) provide value for money and meet at least one of the outcomes listed below, under four themes.

Climate outcomes

  • More carbon is stored and/or sequestered
  • Flood risk is reduced
  • Farmers, land managers and the public better understand what different habitats and land uses can store carbon and reduce carbon emissions
  • The landscape is more resilient to climate change

Nature outcomes

  • There is a greater area of habitat improved for biodiversity
  • There is an increase in biodiversity
  • There is greater connectivity between habitatsImage by Graham Cooper
  • Existing habitat is better managed

People outcomes

  • There are more opportunities for people to explore, enjoy and understand the landscape
  • There are more opportunities for more diverse audiences to explore, enjoy and understand the landscape
  • There is greater public engagement in land management, such as through volunteering
  • Farmers and land managers feel increasingly comfortable with providing public goods

Place outcomes

  • The quality and character of the landscape is reinforced or enhanced
  • Historic structures and features are conserved, enhanced or interpreted more effectively
  • There is an increase in the resilience of nature friendly sustainable farm businesses, which in turn contributes to a more thriving local economy

Your project must also help to deliver at least one of the objectives of the Forest of Bowland National Landscape Management Plan. Details of these objectives can be viewed here: https://www.forestofbowland.com/management-plan   

Examples of the what the programme might support: 

  • Re-wiggling a straightened watercourse, for the biodiversity and natural flood management benefits this can bring
  • Replacing stiles with gates on public footpaths to promote easier access
  • Restoring drystone walls across a landholding
  • Creating wader scrapes, or creating ponds to support a variety of wildlife
  • Promoting connectivity between habitats
  • Creating and promoting a series of farm walks across a cluster of farms, providing new access opportunities, links to the rights of way network and interpretation of farming and of the natural and historic features on the land
  • Conserving historic features on a farm, such as lime kilns or lead mining heritage
  • Parking improvements at a key site provide safe access to popular walking routes and reduces congestion for visitors and for local residents
  • A pop-up camping facility, alongside the provision of new walking trails and on site activities, including e.g. stargazing and dawn chorus walks
  • Supporting a locally-branded food initiative which promotes the links between the product and the landscape in which it is produced
  • Re-wilding an area of land and promoting natural processes
  • Action to reduce carbon emissions on a farm
  • Whole farm planning for conservation, energy efficiency and economic resilience, including in farmer clusters
  • Gathering data and evidence to help inform conservation and farming practice
  • Accessing farm business advice
  • Working with new audiences to enable them to experience the Protected Landscape

Case Studies

Click the links below to download the case studies of some our successful projects:

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Payment Rates

Bell Sykes Farm

If an applicant will not make a commercial gain through a project, they could receive up to 100% of the costs.

Where an applicant would benefit commercially from a project, they could receive between 40% and 80% of the costs through the Programme, depending on how much commercial benefit the project will give them.

The Programme will work alongside – not in competition with – Defra’s existing and new schemes, adding value where it is most needed. If a potential project can be rewarded through those schemes instead, you will be made aware of them.

If an activity is equivalent to one under Countryside Stewardship (CS) or Farming Investment Fund (FIF), the Programme payment will be the same as the CS or FIF rate. If not, quotations must be supplied for the items as an actual cost capitalised item. 

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Maintenance Agreements

Capital infrastructure assets (including, but not limited to, fences, gates, building restoration), should be maintained for 5 years from the date of completion. 

Machinery assets (for example a brush harvester for grassland restoration) should be maintained for 5 years from the date of purchase. 

The requirement to maintain natural, cultural and access activities (for example, management of grassland, restoration of a limekiln) delivered as part of programme will cease no later than 31st March 2025.

How to Apply

In the first instance please complete the online enquiry form via the link below, please note this must be completed by the farmer or land manager.  Once we receive your enquiry form details you will be sent an acknowledgement email from a member of the team. 

** However please note that as stated above due to our fully allocated budget, there is little opportunity for funding therefore we anticipate that many farmers, landowners, and land managers, like yourselves, will be unable to access this grant through the FiPL programme in the Forest of Bowland National Landscape**

Please do continue to fill out the expression of interest form below as our roles are continuing on an advisory basis so we may be able to help with guidance and signposting to other grants and schemes available to you.  

Applications must be developed with the National Landscape Farming in Protected Landscapes team before being submitted.

Funding is only eligible for work that has not commenced prior to a live agreement in place.

All projects must end by March 2025.

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Bell Sykes Hay MeadowApplication Assessment

Applications for £10,000 and over will be judged by the Local Assessment Panel.  This kind of system has been used locally before for the Forest of Bowland Sustainable Development Fund and for the North Lancashire and Bowland LEADER programme.

The Local Assessment Panel is made up of 8 to 12 people from 10 representative bodies including: Forest of Bowland National Landscape, Natural England, land management and business sector as well as conversation organisations.

We expect that the panel will meet to make decisions every 6 to 8 weeks.

Applications for less than £10,000 will be decided upon by a senior member of the National Landscape team (who has no prior knowledge of the project).

The FiPL team may send an application under £10,000 to be judged by the Local Assessment Panel. 

Useful Documents

If you have a question about the Farming in Protected Landscapes Programme you can contact;

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National Landscape map