Farming is changing in the Farming is changing Index in the North Pennines

4 | The transition period - As you’re aware, farming is changing as never before in our lifetime. In the North Pennines, as elsewhere, farmers are increasingly being whatÕs available now? asked to provide services or ‘public goods’ like clean water, clean air, healthy soils, carbon storage, biodiversity and access to the 7 | New Countryside Stewardship countryside, as well as producing food for the nation. The new Environmental Land Management scheme will not be fully 10 | Environmental Land in place until 2024, but direct payments to farmers are being phased Management and public goods out starting this year. In the transition between the two systems there is a lot of room for confusion. 12 | Advice and support We welcome the principle of paying those looking after the land for the public goods and services they provide, and the opportunity 14 | Advice and support from it gives us to help restore nature and protect heritage in the North other organisations Pennines, but we need to make sure that the transition to a new system of public payments also underpins a strong local economy and thriving rural communities. So, we and others need to support farmers and other land managers through this period where we This publication is from the North Pennines AONB Partnership and has been made possible can, so that they can provide these public goods and have thriving by funding from Defra. businesses into the future.

2 In this publication we focus on some opportunities in the transition period (including the new Countryside Stewardship scheme), what Farming is changing Environmental Land Management could look like in the North as never before in Pennines, and where you can go for advice and support. We will provide more information on the new Farming in Protected our lifetime Landscapes programme, outlined in the Agricultural Transition Plan, which we will be delivering locally. We also want to hear what you have to say, so please take the opportunity to feed back on the pre-paid questionnaire or visit https://www.northpennines.org.uk/farmingischanging for more information.

3 The transition period - whatÕs available now? In November 2020 the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) released information on how the country will start the seven-year change towards a system which pays farmers to improve the environment, improve animal health and welfare, and reduce carbon emissions. Paying farmers The Defra booklet ‘Farming is Changing’ provides further details and is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ to improve the future-farming-changes-to-farming-in-. Paper copies are available from: [email protected]. environment During the seven years from 2021 to 2027, the support that farmers receive through the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) will be gradually phased out and the money that is freed-up will be made available to farmers to improve the environment, improve animal health and welfare, and reduce carbon emissions. The Agricultural Transition Plan sets out what schemes will be The

4 Agricultural Transition Plan Agricultural Transition Plan sets out what schemes will be active and when over the seven-year period. Schemes include: • New Countryside Stewardship agreements and capital works (see page 7) • Continuation of Environmental Land Management test and trials • Environmental Land Management scheme national pilots • Tree Health Pilot • Roll out of components of Environmental Land Management (see page 10) • Farming in Protected Landscapes – the North Pennines AONB Partnership is involved in the national working group developing this scheme. • Animal Health and Welfare Pathway • Farming Investment Funds (small and large)

5 Countryside Stewardship will be replaced by a new scheme in 2024

6 New Countryside Stewardship

Defra has already made some changes to the scheme for new agreements starting in January 2021 and will make the following changes to agreements from 2021 onwards: • improving the capital grant offer, making 67 options; available which can sit alongside the Wildlife Offer • creating new wood pasture options in the uplands, at payment rates suitable for upland application, providing a habitat mosaic of grassland, scrub, and trees; • making the capital offer available to Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) agreement holders, where the options are compatible; • improving woodland options, including bringing control and stone wall options into woodland management and combining Woodland Creation and Woodland Maintenance grants; • increasing the number of capital items that farmers can apply for using the Rural Payments service, including hedgerows and boundaries; and • expanding eligibility criteria for the upland option UP2 (management of rough grazing for birds), enabling more land managers to access this option and further improve the upland offer. 7 Following customer feedback penalties will be fairer and inspections less onerous. Application pack request Application submission Agreement duration Countryside Stewardship (CS) will eventually Key Dates Application scored/ranked be replaced with the new Environmental deadline deadline and start date Land Management scheme. By entering an Higher Tier 31 March 2021 - paper & online 30 April (initial application) Usually 5 years Yes - competitive agreement now, farmers will benefit from Start January 2022 the new agricultural policy once it is fully rolled out in 2024. Mid Tier 28 May 2021 - paper 30 July 5 years (capital items 2 years) Yes - competitive Defra will provide a straightforward way 30 June 2021 - online Start January 2022 for CS scheme agreement holders to transfer Wildlife Offers 28 May 2021 - paper 30 July 5 years (capital items 2 years) No - guaranteed across to Environmental Land Management Apply online up to 30 July 2021 Start January 2022 once it’s ready, and without penalty. More information will be published later in 2021. New Capital Grants Apply online up to 30 April 2021 30 April 2 years. Start first of month Yes - competitive after RPA checks done Farmers and land managers who are new to taking on environmental work or Woodland Creation and From February 2021 None - all year round 2 years (capital works) Yes - competitive with expired or expiring Environmental Maintenance 10 years maintenance Stewardship agreements can apply for Woodland Management From February 2021 None - all year round 10 years Must be over 3 hectares Mid Tier, Higher Tier, capital grants and Plan Not competitive woodland support. Woodland Tree Health From February 2021 None - all year round One-off payments towards the cost of: A Woodland Officer will assess Further details on how to apply are at your site https://www.gov.uk/government/ • restocking woodland after collections/countryside-stewardship-get- a tree health problem Woodland management plan paid-for-environmental-land-management. • felling diseased trees or recommended Paper copies of application packs can be rhododendron control requested at [email protected] or 03000 200 301. 8 Application pack request Application submission Agreement duration Application scored/ranked deadline deadline and start date

Higher Tier 31 March 2021 - paper & online 30 April (initial application) Usually 5 years Yes - competitive Start January 2022 Mid Tier 28 May 2021 - paper 30 July 5 years (capital items 2 years) Yes - competitive 30 June 2021 - online Start January 2022 Wildlife Offers 28 May 2021 - paper 30 July 5 years (capital items 2 years) No - guaranteed Apply online up to 30 July 2021 Start January 2022 New Capital Grants Apply online up to 30 April 2021 30 April 2 years. Start first of month Yes - competitive after RPA checks done Woodland Creation and From February 2021 None - all year round 2 years (capital works) Yes - competitive Maintenance 10 years maintenance Woodland Management From February 2021 None - all year round 10 years Must be over 3 hectares Plan Not competitive Woodland Tree Health From February 2021 None - all year round One-off payments towards the cost of: A Woodland Officer will assess • restocking woodland after your site a tree health problem Woodland management plan • felling diseased trees or recommended rhododendron control

9 Environmental Land Management and public goods The new Environmental Land Management scheme will pay farmers and land managers to deliver public goods. Some examples of what this might look like in the North Pennines AONB are:

Benefits - public goods North Pennines AONB examples

Climate change adaptation Reducing downstream flood risk using natural flood management solutions on farmland Climate change mitigation Storing carbon and pulling it out of the atmosphere, by restoring healthy peatlands and enhancing permanent pasture Clean air Increasing tree and woodland cover Clean water Controlling diffuse pollution from historic mine waste and reducing sediment run-off Protection of & mitigation Good nutrient management on farms to avoid pollution from environmental hazards Biodiversity (thriving plants Adapting grazing management to increase soil health and species diversity and animals) Health and well-being / recreation Helping more people enjoy our countryside responsibly through improved access and visitor facilities Beauty & heritage Preserving the richness and character of our landscape through High Nature Value farming. Restoring heritage features on farms 10 Environmental Land Management and public goods Environmental Land Management is still in development, but there will be three schemes:

• Sustainable Farming Incentive will pay for environmentally sustainable land management actions that all farmers can do. Available from 2022/23. • Local Nature Recovery will pay for action that supports local nature recovery and delivers local environmental priorities. Available from 2024/25. • Landscape Recovery will involve bespoke agreements to support long-term land use change projects. Available from 2024/25.

11 Advice and support The North Pennines AONB Partnership runs the following projects which include advice or support for farmers.

Fellfoot Forward North Pennines Woodland Project Allen Valleys Facilitation Group Grants available to conserve, Surveys, advice and access to Open to all farmers in the Allen enhance and connect habitats for funding for woodland creation and Valleys. Group training and advice. wildlife. Advice and funding for management of existing woodlands. Sarah Tooze  07766 785294 woodland creation & management, Ben Scotting  07920 577284  [email protected] wetland creation and natural flood  [email protected] management. Upper Tees Facilitation Fund Tim Jacobs  07920 028975 Peatland Programme Open to all farmers in Harwood-  [email protected] Our Peatland Programme team in-Teesdale and Forest-in-. can offer a variety of advice and Group training and advice. Tees-Swale: Naturally Connected services that can lead to securing Ruth Starr-Keddle  07769 239677 Supports action for nature recovery grant funding to restore degraded  [email protected] on farms and estates and the peatlands, and have huge experience development of skills needed to of planning and managing the sustain the High Nature Value restoration work itself. farming systems (low intensity Alistair Lockett  07584 264 780 farming, with low grazing pressure,  [email protected] low inputs and high biodiversity). Funding available. Patrick Oulton  07920 577321  [email protected] 12 Hexham Brampton Project boundaries

The North Pennines AONB Partnership runs the following projects which include advice or support for farmers. in the North

Consett Pennines AONB

North Pennines AONB boundary Facilitation Fund North Pennines Woodland Project Penrith Upper South Tyne Facilitation Fund* Allen Valleys Facilitation Fund

Barnard Castle Tees-Swale: Naturally Connected Brough Fellfoot Forward

Richmond

*Run by Tyne Rivers Trust 13 Leyburn Advice and support from other organisations

The AONB Team works with many organisations who can also provide Rural Payments Agency (RPA) advice and support to farmers and land managers in the North Pennines The Rural Payments Agency AONB and beyond. There are also many private sector land agents who is the delegated authority for can provide support to the farming community. Countryside Stewardship The Farmer Network Natural England www.gov.uk/government/ organisation/rural-payments- Run by farmers for farmers to help Support and advice is available for agency maintain and develop a viable and those applying for a Countryside sustainable farming community. Stewardship (CS) Mid Tier Woodland Trust Operating in and agreement (starting 1 January 2022). Dales. This will include an invitation to Advice, support and in some cases small numbers of free trees or  01768 868615 on-line events, one-to-one clinics, hedging plants.  [email protected] and application option advice. Higher Tier agreements are mostly For Cumbria: Upper Teesdale Agricultural sought by Natural England by direct Pete Leeson  01768 775060 Advice Service (UTAAS) contact with existing agreement  [email protected] holders, or for larger-scale habitat A support service run by and for restoration projects. For Durham and Northumberland: the people of upper Teesdale Ben Scotting  07920 577284  0300 060 3900  [email protected]  01833 641010 (office)  [email protected][email protected]

14 The Rivers Trusts (Eden, Tees, RSPB Forestry Commission Tyne, & Wear Rivers Trusts) Free advice and support on High The Forestry Commission offers Offer information on water- Nature Value farming. Help with several schemes for increasing, friendly farming and natural flood all aspects of Higher Tier and Mid protecting, and managing trees, management. Tier CS, including advice about forests, and woodlands. Some trusts also have volunteer acquiring temporary adjustments Yorkshire and North East area teams who can assist with works to prescriptions where current  0300 067 4900 in these areas. management is not achieving  [email protected] required results. Eden Rivers Trust North West and West  Andy Dyer  01768 866788 Janet Fairclough 07866 554169  0300 067 4190   [email protected] [email protected][email protected]

Tyne Rivers Trust Game and Wildlife Also run a Facilitation Fund group Conservation Trust for farmers in the upper South Tyne catchment (see map on page 13). Phil Warren  01833 651936 Danielle Anderson-Walker  [email protected]  07939 317760  d.anderson-walker@ tyneriverstrust.org Tees Rivers Trust Richard Holmes  07879 648354  [email protected] Wear Rivers Trust  07759 261884  [email protected] 15 North Pennines AONB Partnership www.northpennines.org.uk +44 (0)1388 528801 [email protected]

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