Farming in Protected Landscapes Programme

Nationally, the FiPL programme has reached a landmark of 3,600 projects across the 44 Protected Landscapes (10 National Parks and 34 National Landscapes), creating 71km of new paths, laying 258km of hedgerow and providing over 6,400 educational visits.

Since 2021, in the Lincolnshire Wolds National Landscape, it has so far provided £1,435,683 of funding for farmers and land managers for one-off projects delivering across the FiPL themes of Climate, Nature, People and Place. 

Defra has confirmed that the FiPL programme has been extended for a further three years until the end of March 2029, with around £30 million nationally across the Protected Landscapes in England for the first year. 

Transparency of Funding.

Protected Landscapes - our National Parks and National Landscapes (NL) - are special and unique places. They are living, working landscapes that also support a huge range of habitats and species, and they are enjoyed by millions of people every year. By supporting the farmers, land managers and people who live and work in these areas, we can help protect these exceptional places and support local communities.

The FiPL Programme – supports farmers and land managers 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, or support nature-friendly, sustainable farm businesses. This is a programme of funding for one-off projects that works alongside, not in competition with, existing agri-environment schemes and adds value where it is most needed.

What the Programme will pay for
The Farming in Protected Landscapes is a programme of funding for one-off projects, not an agri-environment scheme. The Programme will pay for projects that, in the opinion of the Local Assessment Panel provide value for money and meet at least one of the outcomes listed below, under four themes.

• support nature recovery
• mitigate the impacts of climate change
• provide opportunities for people to discover, enjoy and understand the landscape and its cultural heritage
• support nature-friendly, sustainable farm businesses

For example, the programme might support:
• promoting connectivity between habitats
• replacing stiles with gates on public footpaths, to promote easier access
• conserving historic features on a farm, such as deserted medieval settlements, roman farmsteads or Neolithic burial mounds
• supporting a locally branded food initiative that promotes the links between the product and the landscape in which it is produced
• action to reduce carbon emissions on a farm
• gathering data and evidence to help inform conservation and farming practice

Your project must also help to deliver at least one of the policies of the Lincolnshire Wolds AONB Management Plan 2018-2023.

In the Lincolnshire Wolds NL, the Lincolnshire Wolds Countryside Service will have at least £300,000 to award for project applications up to March 2027. After that the project budget for the following two years are yet to be confirmed.

Eligibility
The Farming in Protected Landscapes programme is open to all farmers and land managers (including from the private, public and charity sector) in a National Park, NL or the Norfolk Broads – or where activity on the ground can bring benefit to one or more of those areas.

You must manage all the land included in the application, and have control of all the activities you'd like to undertake, or you must have written consent from all parties who have this management and control.

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.

The programme supports activity on any land within the Lincolnshire Wolds NL.  It can also support activity on other land where projects can demonstrate benefit to the Lincolnshire Wolds or the Lincolnshire Wolds Countryside Service's objectives or partnership initiatives.

You can see the boundary by visiting the MAGIC mapping website. Click on ‘designations', ‘land-based designations' and then 'Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty '.

Helen Gamble is managing the Farming in Protected Landscape Programme. Please see the documents below for further information and guidance or contact Helen with queries. If you would like to receive updates directly, contact helen.gamble@lincolnshire.gov.uk

Your project must also help to deliver at least one of the policies of the Lincolnshire Wolds AONB Management Plan 2018-2023. See here for a list of Lincolnshire Wolds Priorities, with indicative projects. 

Guidance for Applicants 2026 - 2027

Application Form Annex B: not registered for Value Added Tax (VAT)

Application Form

Checklist

Project Costs Table

Year One NAAONB Report

Year Two NAAONB Report

Farming in Protected Landscapes Webinars

Brief Introduction Video: Watch here,

Webinar 1: An online introduction for farmers and land managers

7 September 2021: Watch the webinar here

Webinar 2: Making an application

14 December 2021: Watch the webinar here. 

After each webinar, collated answers to the questions that didn't have time to be answered live are here