More than half a million hectares now coming into Uplands ELS as 3,000 farmers sign up

More than 500,000 hectares (1.2m acres) of farmland are coming under Uplands Entry Level Stewardship (Uplands ELS) as farmers join the scheme in increasing numbers, Natural England figures show. The area covered by the scheme has almost doubled in just two months and includes celebrated landscapes such as the White Peak area in the Peak District and Clun Valley in the Shropshire Hills.

At least 3,000 hill farmers and land managers have signed up to Uplands ELS since the first agreements began in July. Each one will earn on average 57,000 over the course of their five-year agreement.

Encouragingly, among those now entering the scheme are large numbers of commoners around 90 applications have come from commons totalling just under 100,000 hectares in size, an area where uptake was initially slow due to the complex nature of this land. Natural England advisers have been working closely with the Foundation for Common Land and related organisations, which represent commons associations and agents, to provide advice and support to members wanting to apply for the scheme.

Uplands ELS, which supports hill farmers with payments of up to 62 per hectare, replaces the Hill Farm Allowance (HFA) which ended this year.

But the scheme does not solely support farmers it helps underpin a way of life that is essential for the health of the upland environment.

A recent report commissioned by the North York Moors National Park Authority and carried out by Askham Bryan College, demonstrated the clear benefits of Environmental Stewardship (ES) payments – in particular Uplands ELS – to farm businesses, in turn helping to safeguard the livestock which play a vital role in maintaining healthy grazing levels. This ensures thriving moorland and grassland, providing habitat for a variety of animals and insects including the skylark and large heath butterfly and enhancing soil and water quality.

The report found that in a sample of farms with moorland sheep flocks in the North York Moors, Uplands ELS is expected to be higher than HFA. This level of support should be sufficient to ensure that moor sheep are retained on these farms, it said.

Robin Tucker, Natural Englands Executive Director for National Delivery, said: Uplands ELS can make a key contribution both to hill farmers and the beautiful countryside in which they work. Im delighted that so much of this landscape particularly commons such as Dartmoor will benefit from the scheme and we will continue to work closely with farmers to help them join.

Natural England has advisers waiting to give hill farmers free advice and support with their applications, and wed urge anyone interested in Uplands ELS to contact their local office.

Since Uplands ELS was launched in February this year, more than 3,500 farmers have requested information and at least 2,500 have attended farm events up and down the country.

For further information or to find out how to apply in your area call 0300 060 0011 or visit wwww.naturalengland.org.uk/es.

1.      The first Uplands ELS agreements began on 1 July. To date Natural England has received more than 3,000 applications – covering in excess of 500,000 ha more than half of which have already been processed into live agreements.

2.      Launched in February 2010, Uplands ELS replaces the Hill Farm Allowance and rewards hill farmers who combine food production with caring for the environment. It provides a standard payment (62/ha for parcels up to 15ha or 23/ha for parcels over 15ha) every year for 5 years with over 70 options to choose from, including grassland management and restoring farm structures such as barns and stone walls. Free one to one farm visits and a range of farm events are being undertaken by Natural Englands advisers to explain the scheme and support your application. Book a farm visit or event by ringing 0300 060 0011 or for further information on the scheme, visit Natural Englands website at www.naturalengland.org.uk/es .

3.      The North York Moors Hill Sheep Economic Study , conducted for the North York Moors NPA by Askham Bryan College, indicates that net farm income should increase by at least 5,000 per year, provided a full uptake of all the payments available under Natural Englands Environmental Stewardship schemes (ES) is undertaken and that this funding continues.

About Natural England

Natural England is the governments independent adviser on the natural environment. Established in 2006 our work is focused on enhancing Englands wildlife and landscapes and maximising the benefits they bring to the public.

–       We establish and care for Englands main wildlife and geological sites, ensuring that over 4,000 National Nature Reserves and Sites of Special Scientific Interest are looked after and improved.

–       We work to ensure that Englands landscapes are effectively protected, designating Englands National Parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Marine Conservation Zones, and advising widely on their conservation.

–       We run Environmental Stewardship and other green farming schemes that deliver over 400 million a year to farmers and landowners, enabling them to enhance the natural environment across two thirds of Englands farmland.

–       We fund, manage, and provide scientific expertise for hundreds of conservation projects each year, improving the prospects for thousands of Englands species and habitats.

–       We promote access to the wider countryside, helping establish National Trails and coastal trails and ensuring that the public can enjoy and benefit from them.