In the last financial year, we awarded over £500,000 in grants to local farmers and land managers, through the Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL) programme. Fifty-nine projects received grants ranging from £1,000 to £72,000.
Seven land managers from the Wylye Valley Farmers worked together to restrict their cattle accessing and polluting the River Wylye. The river was fenced where animals had previously entered, and new solar-powered drinking troughs were provided. This cost £18,000 for materials alone, with farmers supplying their own labour on top. They were awarded a FiPL grant of £13,000 towards the materials.
Coombe House School, near Shaftesbury, received funding to improve facilities for its pupils with special educational needs. This included a new outdoor classroom and compost turners in their three-acre walled garden, plus fencing off land to create a wildflower meadow and space for newly introduced sheep to graze. For this project, Coombe House was given a grant covering 95% of the costs.
Locals from our own volunteer team helped to create scrapes for turtle doves at Martin Down National Nature Reserve (NNR), funded with £9,500 from FiPL. After being excavated by machine, the volunteers lined the scrapes by hand using a Bentonite clay/water mix to create an impermeable layer. The scrapes are now holding water and will provide a vital water source for turtle doves and other species. Adjacent overstood scrub was also carefully cleared, creating blocks which will be a preferable habitat to encourage turtle dove nesting.
The ‘Farming in Protected Landscapes’ grant programme has supported farmers and land managers to deliver over 240 projects to date in the Cranborne Chase National Landscape. The scheme was launched by Defra in 2021 and provides funding to provide benefits to nature, climate, people and place.
FiPL funding has been extended for a further three years until 2029. You can find more details at Farming in Protected Landscapes – Cranborne Chase National Landscape and contact Robert Hall (FiPL Officer) to chat about your ideas on 01725 517417.