How £700,000 is helping North Devon farms transform for nature and climate

Farmers and land managers in North Devon have received £700,000 in grants to support nature-friendly farming and conservation projects, in a move aimed at protecting the environment and strengthening local farm businesses.

The funding comes from the Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL) programme, which has been delivered in North Devon since 2021 by the North Devon Coast National Landscape Team on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). 

The programme provides grants to help farmers in protected landscapes deliver environmental benefits, from enhancing biodiversity to improving resilience against climate change.

At the Oxford Farming Conference in January, Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds announced that the programme would be extended nationally until March 2029. 

Across England, FiPL has supported more than 11,000 farmers in 44 protected landscapes, funding over 5,500 projects and creating around 100 farm cluster groups.

The programme is part of the government’s Agricultural Transition Plan, which guides the shift towards environmental sustainability in English agriculture. 

Official guidance states that FiPL funds projects that support nature recovery, help mitigate the impacts of climate change, and improve public access to the countryside. 

In North Devon and Torridge, farmers have carried out projects on more than 1,000 hectares of land. Initiatives include creating or restoring 11 ponds, planting more than 2,100 trees, establishing 115 hectares of wildlife-rich habitat, and restoring 2.6 kilometres of hedgerows. Other work has included traditional woodland coppicing, establishing riparian buffers, and improving public access with new gates and footpath resurfacing.

Innovative approaches have also been adopted. 

GPS cattle collars are being used to combine conservation grazing with public access, helping to restore coastal heathlands and shifting sand dunes. 

Many projects involve collaboration with neighbouring landowners or local schools.

During 2024/25, the programme introduced the Historic Building Restoration Grant, allocating £74,300 to restore farm buildings and £38,800 for projects improving countryside access.

Dr Eirene Williams, Chair of the FiPL Local Assessment Panel for the North Devon Coast, welcomed the extension: “After a period of considerable uncertainty for farmers, in general and financially, it was a relief to hear this good news announced at the Oxford Farming Conference in January. This is welcome, specifically for those in our coastal areas of North Devon and Torridge within the North Devon Coast National Landscape. Since September 2021, 65 applications for the Farming in Protected Landscapes funding within our National Landscape have been considered and grants of between £1,000 and £30,000 have been awarded to almost all of them. This is despite being one of the smallest National Landscapes and hence receiving a relatively smaller share of the overall Defra funding.

“The scheme has been popular with our farmers and landowners and achieved progress, on the ground, towards the national targets in the Environment Improvement Plan. This work has been supported by the Farming in Protected Landscapes panel of knowledgeable volunteers who give their time to consider and make decisions on the awards. We are all delighted to be back in business for another three years!”

The extension of FiPL provides farmers with long-term certainty to continue delivering local conservation projects. 

By funding practical, one-off projects, the programme supports both sustainable farm businesses and national environmental priorities, including biodiversity restoration and climate resilience.