New Directions Suggested For Upland Communities

Current support for hill farming is inadequate to sustain the wealth of natural and cultural assets of the English uplands according to the findings of the inquiry into the future of the English uplands by the Commission for Rural Communities (CRC). The CRC suggests new funding mechanisms are required to reward farmers for managing national assets in harmony with a developing business sector. The CRC say the suggested reforms could be part of the Common Agricultural Policy from 2013. They say there is a need to strike a balance between the needs of the environment and maximising the economic potential of the uplands. Thriving communities are an essential part of sustaining natural resources, they say, supporting farmers is not enough.

The report calls an integrated approach to realising the potential of the diverse natural resources of the uplands. It says too many well-intentioned intentions have had negative consequences for communities, farmers and land owners. It also the appointment of someone accountable to ministers to lead the implementation of the new strategy.

Other recommendations include a long-term land managemnt policy to mitigate carbon loss, completion of an audit of opportunities for renewable energy to stimulate new enterprise and opportunities for value addition, taking proper account of upland communities when developing and delivering the Goverment's 'Big Society' programme replacing voluntary and community efforts with committed and reliable measures, development of Next Generation Access in upland areas and guidance on affordable homes.

The uplands are home to over 2 million people with an above average proportion of over 40s, 25% of all woodland and 70% of drinking water comes from the uplands, 75% of the uplands are designated National Park or Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), 53% of England's Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) are in the uplands and 82% of common land. The 40 million visitors to the upland National Parks spend £1.78bn there every year.