Landscape enhancement grants for Peak Park farmers

Farmers and land managers in the Peak District National Park are being encouraged to continue to apply for funding to support landscape enhancement, access and conservation work through the Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL) programme.

The national FiPL programme, administered locally by the Peak District National Park Authority, has been extended 12 months, to March 2025, with an extra £2.4 million available for farmers and land managers in the 2024/25 financial year.

Since July 2021, the Peak District National Park has channelled £2 million to over 300 local farmers and land managers to bring benefits for climate, nature, people and place with an extra 1.2 million expected to be spent between now and April.

So far, the FiPL programme has supported 304 Peak District projects with works ranging from installing solar powered drinking troughs for livestock, creating habitat corridors for wildlife, to building a new hay barn to enable making late-cut, flower-rich hay, and planting close to 9kms of new hedgerows.

In total, 35 ponds have been improved or created, 5511 trees planted, 49 historic structures conserved, restored or interpreted more effectively and 80 hectares of hay meadow restored. Educational access is being supported on 8 farms and 10 new permissive paths are in place.

The works bring benefits on the ground including supporting natural flood management, reducing carbon emissions from farms, improving areas for wildlife, and enhancing landscape features and historic assets. Many projects pave the way for enhanced opportunities for farmers to draw down funding from national schemes and/or enhance their business.

Phil Mulligan, chief executive of the Peak District National Park, said: “The National Park is a living, working landscape that supports communities and businesses, and is home to a huge range of habitats and species. It’s also a place enjoyed by millions of visitors and residents every year. The FiPL programme has made it possible for us to support one-off projects that benefit nature and cultural heritage-friendly farm businesses.

“It’s fantastic to see farmers taking up the opportunities to increase habitats, improve biodiversity, mitigate the impacts of climate change, and provide opportunities for people to enjoy and understand the landscape and its cultural heritage. It’s about investing in the environment and people to help build sustainable farm businesses that look after the landscape now and for the future.”

Some standout successes of the FiPL programme in the Peak District National Park to date include significant repairs to 300 metres of Doctor’s Gate bridleway which protects sensitive moorland habitat; restoration of a stone-built Victorian water header tank structure at Sheldon; and support for the creation of wood pasture projects at Baslow and Hayfield and agro-forestry farming systems at Great Longstone, Green Fairfield and Wincle. At Minninglow, access off the High Peak trail has been provided to an award winning limekiln restoration project.

Funding is available for projects which deliver for one or more of the following themes: climate – including reducing flood risk; nature – targeting nature recovery; people – including enhanced access, volunteering, and ways to discover, enjoy and understand the landscape; place – including landscape, cultural heritage and support for increasing the resilience of nature friendly sustainable farm businesses.

The National Park team are particularly interested in hearing from farmers with ideas for projects that will deliver across the themes whilst supporting the development of their business, possibly through direct sales or enabling transition to a business model that can be supported more effectively through national schemes. 

A local panel including farmer representatives assesses projects to ensure they provide value for money, a legacy from the work, and meet at least one of the scheme’s outcomes and supports the aims of the National Park Management Plan.

To find out more about the support that is available, visit www.peakdistrict.gov.uk/fipl or speak to a farm adviser or FiPL officer on 01629 816200, or email: farming@peakdistrict.gov.uk.