More support for farmers in the Mendip Hills National Landscape

The Mendip Hills National Landscape Team is pleased to announce that Defra has committed to funding grants for farmers in the Mendip Hills until March 2029. Each year the National Landscape Team will be able to allocate around £270,000 for projects that help farmers adapt to climate change, let nature recover, protect the landscape character and engage with people.  

Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL) is a flexible grants programme for projects that enhance Protected Landscapes and leave a positive legacy for the future. Since 2021, FiPL has delivered outstanding results across England, with 11,000 farmers participating in 5500 projects – including the planting of 362km of new hedgerows, equivalent to a hedgerow running from Oxford to Newcastle!  
 

So far, £1.4 million has been invested in projects across the Mendip Hills, resulting in tangible benefits on the ground such as over 12 km of new or restored hedgerows, 38 new or restored ponds, over 1.5 km of drystone walls restored, 15km of new or improved paths and an impressive 704 hectares of wildlife rich habitat managed for biodiversity.  

Andy Wear, Chair of the FiPL Local Assessment Panel says; ‘We’re delighted that Defra has renewed FiPL funding for another three years. It makes a real difference to farmers as the funding sits outside normal Defra streams with more flexibility and freedom to deliver what they want. It enables the panel to continue supporting projects that benefit this beautiful area and make a real difference for nature and people. With 3 years of funding we will be able to look further ahead and plan projects that will have an even bigger impact.’ 

A local decision panel made up of farmers and land managers, wildlife and access specialists and partners from Natural England and the Somerset Wildlife Trust meet regularly to ensure that projects fulfil the grant’s outcomes, provide value for money and align with the goals set in the Nature Recovery Plan, which identifies actions that will benefit nature in each area and habitat type within the Mendip Hills.  

The FiPL officer in the National Landscape Team provides tailored advice, guidance and support throughout the entire process and can visit farms prior to the initial application. Previous applicants have carried out hedge laying, tree planting, pond creation, meadow restoration, or held educational events and improved access to the countryside. FiPL can also support larger, ambitious projects that have a landscape-scale impact, such as the Hazel Dormouse project led by Somerset Wildlife Trust – a multi-year initiative connecting dormouse habitats in strategic locations across the Mendip Hills.  
 

We can help develop ideas for your land, and welcome enquiries from anyone interested in the programme. Contact  FiPL@mendiphills-nl.org.uk to discuss your project and apply.