The Farming in Protected Landscapes Programme seeks to provide investment in protected landscapes to help deliver outcomes for the environment, people and place by working in partnership with farmers.

Following the latest Assessment Panel meeting in October 2024 all the available funding for this financial year has now been allocated.  We are waiting to hear from DEFRA if the programme will continue next year, but we are happy to discuss potential projects in case funding does continue. See below for contact details.

It is open to all farmers and land managers (including from the private, public and charity sectors) in the North Wessex Downs National Landscape or where activity on the ground can bring benefit to the National Landscape. Other organisations and individuals can apply as long as they do this in collaboration with a farmer or land manager, or in support of a farmer or group of farmers.

You can see the boundary of the National Landscape (designated AONB) by visiting the MAGIC mapping website. Click on ‘designations’, ‘land-based designations’ and then ‘Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty England.’

Explore the boundary of the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The programme will run from July 2021 to March 2025 and will be delivered by farmers and land managers in partnership with the North Wessex Downs National Landscape on farmed or managed land. Funding will support groups and individuals proposing projects and approved by the FiPL Officer or Local Assessment Panel.

FiPL in the North Wessex Downs 2022-25

In 2023 DEFRA confirmed an additional one-year extension to the Programme to 2025.

Of each allocation a proportion may be spent on Admin, and Advice and Guidance.

  • Our overall allocation for FY 22/23 was: £691,979
  • Our overall allocation for FY 23/24 is: £1,029,835
  • Our overall allocation for FY 24/25 is: £1,354,098

Before you apply:

  1. Review the information on this page, in the Guidance to Applicants document, and to help generate more ideas and build better projects watch the webinar below and read the supplementary information.
  2. Contact the Farming in Protected Landscapes Officer JemimaSellwood@northwessexdowns.org.uk for advice on the programme including to discuss your ideas, the payment rates and intervention rates for your project.
  3. OR submit an Enquiry Form to JemimaSellwood@northwessexdowns.org.uk

How you apply

FiPL staff will send you an application form for you to complete and return to the FiPL Officer.

Once you have applied

You should expect to hear back from your FiPL team within 10 working days of your application being submitted.

Downloads

Enquiry Form

Form to submit to FiPL@northwessexdowns.org.uk to express interest

FiPL-enquiry-form-Feb-2022-1.pdf

Sample Application Form

This is for information only. Please do not fill this form in before you have discussed your project with the North Wessex Downs AONB team and you have been advised to apply.

Sample-Application-Form-NWD-AONB-Farming-in-Protected-Landscapes.pdf

DEFRA Guidance to Applicants - FiPL

Guidance for applicants to Farming in Protected Landscapes produced by DEFRA.

DEFRA-Guidance-to-Applicants-FiPL-May 2023.pdf

Further Enquiries

For all enquiries contact our Farming in Protected Landscapes Officer at JemimaSellwood@northwessexdowns.org.uk

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image credits: Mowing haylage towards Ladle Hill & Watership Down, Lord Carnarvon; Misty dawn from Adams Grave, Dave Gray; Barley, Ann Shepley