Foundation raises concerns for Common Land from Brexit vote

We have just released the following press release.

What Future for Our Iconic Cultural heritage? Brexit Vote raises concerns for Common Land

The vote by the United Kingdom to leave the EU will have profound implications for many National Parks whose commoners maintain these iconic places. As part of the Uplands Alliance, the Foundation for Common Land has offered to help Defra shape a new positive future for our uplands. We also have immediate concerns that the short-term uncertainty surrounding environmental stewardship schemes places the cultural and natural heritage of commons at risk.

Over 4,500 commoners look after England’s most designated and highly valued resource – common land. Iconic examples of commons in the UK are Blencathra, Scafell Pike, Pen-y-Ghent, the New Forest,  and the Dartmoor Tors. 

Essential to looking after these places is the sustainable management by commoners. Most run small marginal businesses where support payments represents over 40% of their gross farm income. These are required because the market does not pay commoners sufficient money for their beef and lamb to also maintain the cultural and environmental benefits of common land. To correct this market failure the government pays farmers through stewardship schemes to look after our heritage but uncertainty now surrounds these schemes.

Julia Aglionby, Executive Director of the Foundation for Common Land urges says, “In the short term farmers need to know:

1. Whether Defra and Natural England will honour current agreements for their remaining duration (some run till 2024)
2. If farmers enter schemes during the Brexit negotiations will they run for their full term?”

The uncertainty that is bad for farming businesses is also bad for the valuable cultural heritage such as at the heart of our most loved landscapes of the Yorkshire Dales, the Lake District, North York Moors, the New Forest and Dartmoor. The Foundation for Common Land urges Defra to provide clarity as a matter of urgency.

The Foundation for Common Land has already started discussions with other members of the Uplands Alliance to help shape a new post Brexit future for the Uplands and a meeting is planned for September to collectively pool our thinking.
ENDS
27th June 2016

For further information on Foundation for Common Land please contact Julia Aglionby, 07702 100111 or e-mail julia@foundationforcommonland.org.uk

You can download the press release here