Farming in Protected Landscapes is a new grant programme for the Coast & Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, along with all of the National Parks and other AONBs in England.

Through the programme, farmers and land managers can be supported to carry out projects that

• Support nature recovery,
• Mitigate the impacts of climate change,
• Provide opportunities for people to discover, enjoy and understand the landscape and cultural heritage,
• Support nature-friendly, sustainable farm businesses.

The programme is part of Defra’s Agricultural Transition Plan. It has been developed by Defra with the support of a group of AONB and National Park staff from across the country. It’s a programme of funding for one-off projects covering these areas of work, not an agri-environment scheme.

The programme is running from 2021 to 2024 and the next meeting for applications to be considered will take place in early December 2021.

To ensure your application is considered by the Local Assessment Panel at December’s meeting, we ask that you please ensure your application is submitted to us by Monday 22nd November 2021.

If you are a farmer or land manager in or near a protected landscape looking to make an application for funding, you can find out more at a free webinar on Tuesday 9th November from 5:00pm – 6:00pm.

The Coast & Heaths AONB is supporting farmers, land managers and others in the area to find out more about the programme, how it works, and how to make a successful application.

If you have an idea for a project or would simply like more information on the programme or the application process, please do get in touch. Alternatively you can find a number of useful resources and documents providing everything you need to know on the Farming in Protected Landscapes page.