Farmers and landowners in the Lake District National Park will continue to benefit from the Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL) grant scheme for the next three years.
The Lake District National Park Authority (LDNPA) has welcomed the news of the funding’s extension, which is provided by Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).
On Thursday, January 8, Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds confirmed the funding extension, which will run from April 1, 2026 to March 1,2029, with £30 million in funding for 2026/2027 nationally.
Already in the Lake District, 302 FiPL-funded projects have been delivered over the last five years, to a total grant value of approximately £5.9 million.
Hanna Latty, assistant director of sustainable development for LDNPA, said: “This funding extension is fantastic news for local farmers and landowners, whose livelihoods and heritage are woven into the Lake District landscape and help make it such a unique and special place.
“The FiPL funding extension means LDNPA can continue supporting a range diverse projects throughout the Lake District National Park across themes of Nature, Climate, People and Place.”
In its fourth year, FiPL funded:
- 53 projects supporting resilient and nature-friendly farm businesses;
- 11 projects supporting traditional farming breeds;
- 9,642 metres of access improvements;
- 21 agricultural soil health projects;
- £141,949 funding educational projects;
- £118,525 funding for wetland creation and restoration projects.
The Environment Secretary has also confirmed plans to explore a transformation of England’s uplands, recognising the unique challenges facing the rural communities that depend on them, from poor access to services to harsh farming conditions.
The pilot programme, first to be delivered in Dartmoor, then Cumbria, is intended to deliver system-wide change, create farming clusters, explore new mutual funding models and lay the foundations for new income streams, from nature-based enterprises to regenerative tourism and circular economy initiatives.
Hanna Latty said: “We are grateful to Defra for making such a significant, multi-year investment in FiPL, this is a testament to the fantastic progress made by FiPL projects and will help maximise the impact of the funding as it provides applicants with the opportunity to bring forward multi-year projects.
“We also warmly welcome the government’s announcement of their support to smaller farms. Family run, independent farms are a crucial part of the cultural landscape and in delivering nature and climate goals here in the Lake District.”
