House of Commons - Farming in the Uplands - Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee

Farming in the Uplands - Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee Contents

5 Upland communities

93. In High ground, high potential the CRC emphasised the importance of upland communities:

People are essential to the identity of the land and to its future. The landscape has been formed by centuries of human intervention and management and people remain essential to its future development.

During our Inquiry we found a strong culture of community cohesion. Many people are connected economically, socially and culturally to the land and to those who manage the land. This strong dynamic connection between land and communities is essential in realising the potential of the uplands.[195]

The report goes on to describe the sorts of challenges facing upland communities, for example:

We heard concerns about an ageing population and the loss of young people. While this picture is characteristic of most rural areas, we were told of particular issues around the loss of those with the knowledge and understanding of the uplands.

A major factor affecting retention and attraction of young people and families is the cost of housing. In common with many other rural areas, high demand from incomers to areas of landscape beauty, coupled with low supply, relatively lower local wages and restrictive planning arrangements mean that little housing is available for young people and those on low wages.[196]

94. Much of our evidence emphasised the inter-relatedness of hill farming, upland communities. The AHDB state that:

Upland livestock farms play a pivotal role in rural communities which exist in these regions, by way of their employment, contribution to the rural economy, its associated supply industry and use of local services, plus the social networking aspects of rural life through community events such as Agricultural shows, weekly livestock markets and regular Young Farmers activities.[197]

Similarly, the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England stated that "...hill farming communities of England are an essential element of the social fabric of the uplands".[198]

Planning and housing

95. In High ground, high potential the CRC made a series of recommendations under the heading 'Planning to enable sustainable upland communities' directed to the Department for Communities and Local Government.[199] The driving force behind those recommendations was the conviction that upland communities required more affordable housing and local engagement in planning matters. Several witnesses, including the NFU and National Trust, referred to concerns about the lack of affordable housing in upland communities.[200] In oral evidence the CRC confirmed the importance of affordable housing but said that "people have given up on affordable housing in rural communities".[201] The CRC also expressed concern that the spending cuts announced since the publication of their report could reduce the budget for creation of affordable housing in rural communities.[202]

96. The Minister acknowledged those concerns.[203] He referred to the Home on the Farm initiative, which was announced in October 2010.[204] Under the scheme farmers and local councils are encouraged "to work together to secure the conversion of redundant and underused farm buildings to deliver affordable homes for local people".[205] No central Government funding has been allocated to Home on the Farm—Defra state that "Local authorities may wish to offer incentives to farmers to carry out conversions to provide affordable homes for local people".[206]

97. Defra has confirmed that "affordable homes provided through 'Home on the Farm' will be for households in the local community, which could include non-farm workers or retired farm-workers".[207] One advantage of the scheme could be to facilitate succession by allowing older farmers to retire on the farm. However, the Annex to Planning Policy Statement 7 (which covers conversion of agricultural buildings to dwellings) states: "New permanent dwellings should only be allowed to support existing agricultural activities on well-established agricultural units, providing the need relates to a full-time worker, or one who is primarily employed in agriculture and does not relate to a part-time requirement", which would appear to preclude retired farmers.[208]

98. The Government intends to publish a national planning framework which will include planning for housing policy.[209] It is essential that the Government's national planning framework include policies to mitigate the problems of lack of affordable housing in rural areas. The Home on the Farm scheme may be part of the solution to lack of affordable housing—we seek clarification from Defra as to how the scheme will work in practice. In particular, we expect Defra to clarify whether, 'Home on the Farm' will be limited to providing affordable housing and whether retired farmers and current farm workers will be able to take advantage of the scheme.

99. The CRC recommended that communities have a greater role in approving small schemes of affordable housing.[210] The Rural Development Agencies Rural Affairs Network advocated "effective planning that allows community-led identification of priorities and subsequent local agreement on sustainable solutions".[211] However, the NFU sounded a note of caution, expressing concern that community-led planning may favour policies "designed to maintain the appearance of the uplands rather than develop the productive infrastructure of agriculture in the uplands", thereby undermining efforts to improve economic viability.[212] In highlighting planning issues, the NFU's memorandum states that:

The challenge is to ensure a joined up approach to planning that allows for local tailoring, but without becoming a means for local residents to block any undesired development regardless of its wider benefits. In terms of the wider uplands challenges, provision of low cost housing solves one of the challenges. There must be economic opportunity as well.[213]

100. The Campaign for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE) responded to the NFU's concerns, stating that:

During the inquiry familiar criticisms were levelled at the planning system as being obstructive to delivering affordable housing and to improving the economic viability, in broad terms, of upland communities. CPRE maintains its view that local authorities should work with the communities they represent to develop and agree development plans. Relaxing planning controls is likely to lead to less sustainable development and 'planning by appeal'.[214]

The CPRE went on to support a planning system that was "sympathetic to local landscapes and settlements".[215]And concluded that:

CPRE believes that great care is needed to avoid industrialising the uplands in pursuit of short term economic gain at the expense of long term social and environmental values.[216]

101. The CRC recommended that CLG:

Encourage public bodies that own land in the uplands (e.g. Forestry Commission, National Parks, Ministry of Defence) to make sites available for affordable housing provision at low cost, where these can contribute toward meeting needs.

Successive Governments have made commitments to release vacant defence estate properties. The Coalition Programme for Government includes a commitment to "explore a range of measures to bring empty homes into use", and the Prime Minister has expressed a wish to see vacant MoD properties used for affordable housing.[217]

102. We recommend that Defra work across Government to ensure that the national planning framework has a flexible and less restrictive approach to housing in rural areas. The planning framework should enable local communities to seek innovative and cost-effective solutions to the problem of affordable housing in rural areas, for example through use of defence estate properties that are becoming vacant.

National Parks

103. Each National Park has a National Park Authority—an independent body, funded by central Government, charged with two statutory purposes:

to conserve and enhance the natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage of National Parks; and
to promote opportunities for the understanding and enjoyment of the special qualities of National Parks by the public.

In High ground, high potential, the CRC note that National Park Authorities "play a crucial role in furthering economic and social well-being in upland areas".[218] The report goes on to recommend that the remit of National Park Authorities (NPAs) be expanded to include a third statutory duty to foster the social and economic well-being of local communities.[219] National Park Authorities act as the planning authority in National Parks. One of the ways that National Park Authorities discharge their statutory duties is through planning decisions.

104. The previous EFRA Committee made a similar recommendation in its report on The potential of England's rural economy. Having heard, in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, from businesses with concerns about the difficulty of obtaining planning permission in National Parks, that Committee recommended that "Defra carry out a review of whether planning decisions by National Park Authorities reflect the correct balance between protecting the natural environment and ensuring that communities located within national parks are sustainable and will survive".[220]

105. The Government's reply rejected that recommendation and stated: "The National Park authorities have done an excellent job at conserving the high environmental quality of the Parks but this has not been at the expense of the communities and businesses within them."[221] In oral evidence, Dr Stone explained that National Parks already have a 'supporting' duty to foster social and economic well-being.[222] He explained that National Park Authorities comprise mainly local people nominated from the "...constituent authorities that make up the national park area", who are committed to the "social and economic well-being of the area".[223] The Campaign for National Park (CNP) also emphasised that National Parks "...are already required to undertake their twin purposes (of conservation and public enjoyment) in a way that fosters the social and economic well-being of local communities".[224] The CNP added that they had seen "...no evidence to suggest that a new statutory purpose on social and economic well-being is necessary".[225]

106. National Park Authorities already have two duties to balance and reconcile, in essence: conservation of the natural environment and access for the public. If those two duties come into conflict, National Park Authorities apply the Sandford Principle.[226] That principle states that where the two statutory principles are irreconcilable priority must be given to the conservation of natural beauty.

107. In November 2010 the Government launched a consultation on the governance arrangements for the National Parks and the Broads.[227] The stated purposes of the review included looking at how to make National Parks' authorities more effective and responsive to the concerns of the local communities. However, the consultation did not include any proposal to amend the statutory objectives of National Parks as recommended by the CRC. Defra explained that this was because the consultation was "focussed on the generic issues of their future governance rather than substantive issues like amendments to the statutory purposes".[228] The department noted that the CRC's recommendation that National Park Authorities give equal priority to fostering economic and social well-being alongside their existing statutory purposes would be considered as part of the review of uplands policy which is due to conclude in February 2011.[229]

108. We support the purpose behind the CRC's recommendation that National Park Authorities have an additional statutory duty relating to social and economic well-being. The Authorities' duties to the landscape and environment and the people who live, work and cherish those landscapes should have equal status. There appears no reason why the Sandford Principle should not be preserved and applied to a third statutory duty. We recommend that the Government seek an appropriate legislative vehicle to make this change and to introduce greater flexibility.

Access to development funding by rural enterprises

109. The Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) implements the rural development elements of the CAP. The RDPE provides grant support to improve the competitiveness of the farming and forestry sectors and diversification of the rural economy.[230] Under the previous government those RDPE grants were administered by Regional Development Agencies (RDAs). The RDAs also administered a Government fund for regional development. The Coalition Government has announced that RDAs are to be abolished and replaced by LEPs (Local Economic Partnerships) by March 2012. LEPs comprise local authorities and business leaders. The Government's intention is that LEPs provide "strategic leadership in their areas to set out local economic priorities".[231] In order to "create the right environment for business and growth", the Government expects LEPs will want to tackle issues such as "planning and housing, local transport and infrastructure priorities, employment and enterprise and the transition to the low carbon economy...[and support] small business start-ups".[232]

110. The Regional Growth Fund (RGF) is a discretionary fund intended to "support increases in business employment and economic growth by funding regional capital projects".[233] The LEPs are supposed to co-ordinate and assist in making bids to the Regional Growth Fund (RGF). The department noted that Regional Growth Fund bids were not restricted to LEPs. Private bodies, public-private partnerships (not exclusively LEPs) and social enterprises could submit RGF bids.[234] The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) is aimed at economic regeneration projects promoted primarily by the public sector. In the past local authorities have received financial support through the ERDF and the LEPs will be encouraged to make bids to the fund in the future. The Government is looking at aligning the application processes for the ERDF and the RGF.[235]

111. Following the abolition of the RDAs, RDPE funding will be administered in-house by Defra.[236] The Minister and Secretary of State have said that, once LEPS are fully functional, they will be looking to the LEPs to deliver RDPE funding as well. However, this is unlikely to occur until after the new RDPE funding has been agreed, as part of the current round of CAP reform. The Minister believed that hill farmers required additional support. He encouraged rural communities and hill farmers to seek additional funding, which would have to come from Rural Development Programme money.[237] Accessing RDPE funding will therefore be crucial for upland communities and farmers; a point reflected in the CRC's High ground, high potential recommendation that:

Delivery bodies with Less Favoured Areas within their jurisdiction should review the extent to which RDPE funding is sufficiently accessible to upland farms and rural businesses (especially those relating to enterprise investment and rural business support).

The South West Uplands Federation was cautious about the CRC's recommendation, arguing that:

Whilst we support the principle of making RDPE funding more available to upland farms there is some anecdotal evidence to suggest that those successful in securing financial support to diversify or to participate in local marketing initiatives often then abandon or reduce their moorland grazing.

112. The NFU's memorandum notes that the greater flexibility and localism LEPs could offer would be beneficial to the uplands. However, the NFU note that "few LEPs have highlighted agriculture as a priority to date and there is significant uncertainty over their future role". In a report on LEPs and rural interests, the CRC concluded that

An initial reading of some of the proposals for LEPs indicated a similar patchy recognition of rural economies' contributions. They range from those that have fully recognised their rural constituents to others, even where they incorporate sizeable rural areas, that have failed to reference them.[238]

According to the department "areas of the country, including rural areas, not currently part of a LEP could potentially be part of one in the future".[239]

113. Upland communities and farmers are being encouraged to seek funding to enable them to develop. However, the new bodies, LEPs, that should be encouraging innovation and growth, appear to lack the significant expertise and knowledge found in the RDAs to assist rural business. We conclude that some Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs), that cover rural areas, appear to lack interest in, and knowledge about, rural issues. In addition, significant rural areas are not currently covered by LEPs. We encourage rural and farming representative organisations engage with LEPs. We recommend that Defra engage with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills about including consideration of rural needs, where appropriate given the geography, as part of the criteria for selection of future LEPs.

114. There is a lack of clarity about the current position and how Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) funding will be provided now and in the future. We recommend that Defra provide a clear and precise description of how funding will be provided across the country, with or without LEPs. We further recommend that Defra produce clear guidance for farmers and rural communities as to how RDPE funding will be administered now and in future.

115. Any confusion about how RDPE funding will be administered compounds the difficulties farmers and local communities encounter in receiving information and accessing funding. We recommend that the Government explore a simpler means of gaining access to rural funding, of all kinds, through a one-stop-shop.

116. We recommend that Defra only use LEPs as a focus for delivery of RDPE funding in future (after 2013), when they have demonstrated that LEPs have sufficient geographical extent to benefit farmers in all rural areas and have sufficient skills, local knowledge and interest to assist with rural businesses. In the intervening time RDPE funding is to be delivered by Defra. We remain to be convinced that the department will be an effective and efficient delivery body. We expect Defra to set out how it will administer the fund and what processes are in place to monitor its performance as a delivery body.

195 High ground, high potential, p 7 Back

196 High ground, high potential, p 7 Back

197 Ev w26 Back

198 Ev w27 Back

199 High ground, high potential, p 19. Back

200 Ev w12, Ev 65 Back

201 Q 22 Back

202 Q 20 Back

203 Q 183 Back

204 Qq 216-217 Back

205 Ev 83 Back

206 Ev 84 Back