Policy paper

Government response to the Independent review of protected site management on Dartmoor: full report

Updated 11 April 2024

This was published under the 2022 to 2024 Sunak Conservative government

Applies to England

Ministerial foreword

Since joining Defra I have listened to and learnt from farmers, including those in Dartmoor. I recently visited the area and met with those farming on the common, tenant farmers and stakeholders, seeing first hand the breathtaking landscape.

I have heard and seen first hand the rich Dartmoor wildlife and plant life. It is imperative that we preserve the cultural heritage in the area for future generations and it will be a key step towards achieving our environmental targets.

Dartmoor has a set of unique challenges, and the review provides us with a better understanding of how we can work with farmers to deliver on agricultural production and environmental improvements, public access and cultural and natural heritage.  I would like to thank David Fursdon and the Review Panel for their work.

For everyone who lives on or enjoys Dartmoor, to continue to do so we need farming on Dartmoor to achieve its aims, it needs healthy and varied habitats working in harmony with food production and we will continue to support those working in the area to do what they do best; produce food hand in hand with preserving the diversity and abundance of nature.    

With this response we are setting out the action the government is taking on the recommendations; progress to date with implementing certain recommendations; and further actions it will take to implement the Review.

We will:

• work with Natural England to repair relationships with Dartmoor’s commoners and stakeholders and ensure government is collaborative moving forward 
• provide farmers and land managers confidence in government policies, so they can make the most of Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes 
• support robust strategy and governance for Dartmoor

Today’s response builds on the considerable progress that we have made since the Review was published in December 2023.

In January we set out the biggest upgrade to farming schemes since the UK has had the freedom to design our own schemes. We announced a new and improved moorland offer which includes 5 new actions, which will more comprehensively and fairly reward the actions taken in moorland settings.

For example, one new action, low grazing on moorland, pays farmers to maintain low livestock density on moorland which aims to support and enhance moorland habitat alongside farming.

We also announced funded Animal Health and Welfare grants for up to £2,000 a year for farmers who keep both sheep and cattle. This will help farmers lower costs and have healthier and more productive animals on their farms. Producing high quality livestock for sale, as part of increasingly sustainably managed landscapes should continue to be the foundation of Dartmoor farm businesses.  

We know this is a period of transition and that in the interim before our full environmental land management is on offer we need to have support in place. This is why we have undertaken rapid work to extend all higher-level stewardship agreements in Dartmoor by one year.  This will allow agreement holders to plan and adapt to any future changes to management.

To help in this period we also have committed to set up a Land Use Management Group (LUMG) which will act as a forum to build strong relationships between farmers, landowners and commoners, and enhance open decision making with effective governance. 

All of this, plus the further steps we are taking, detailed in our full response, illustrates our continued commitment to backing British farmers. Change on this scale does not happen overnight and I will continue action in areas where it matters and support farm businesses to grow and thrive.

The Rt Hon Steve Barclay MP

Secretary of State for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs

Introduction 

This document sets out the government’s response to the Independent Review of Protected Site Management on Dartmoor. 

Dartmoor is one of England’s most loved landscapes, with wide open moorland framed by steep woodland valleys and rolling hills of pastoral moorland. It is a landscape people are drawn to, to immerse themselves in nature and history. Dartmoor is the result of generations of farmers working together with the natural landscape, to create a truly special place.  

Protecting Dartmoor’s plants, wildlife and cultural heritage for future generations will be a key step towards achieving our environmental targets. For farming on Dartmoor to achieve its aims, it needs healthy and varied habitats working in harmony with food production.  

Through our farming reforms, the government aims to: 

• maintain domestic food production  
• improve farm productivity so that all farm businesses, and the sector, can thrive  
• deliver ambitious outcomes for the environment, heritage and climate, as set out in the Environmental Improvement Plan and Plan for Water  
• reduce agricultural greenhouse gas emissions, as set out in the Net Zero Growth Plan  
• improve the health and welfare of livestock, boosting productivity, food security and exports  

In April 2023, Defra ministers commissioned the Dartmoor Review Panel, chaired by David Fursdon, to carry out a rapid review of protected site management on Dartmoor. The independent review of protected site management on Dartmoor (the ‘Review’) was published on 12 December 2023.  

The government thanks David and the Review Panel  for their work. This response sets out the government’s response to the recommendations, progress to date with implementing certain recommendations, and further actions it will take to implement the Review. 

For specific details on individual recommendations, read the government response to each Dartmoor Review recommendation.

Overview  

Dartmoor has one of the largest semi-natural moorland habitats in the country. It has the highest concentration of Scheduled Monuments in the UK and supports a diverse ecosystem of plants and wildlife, including large areas of dry heathland and blanket bogs.  

However, the Review confirms that over recent years the relationship between farming, nature and other impacts like climate change are not balanced on Dartmoor. Wildlife and nature on Dartmoor are declining in a way that may jeopardise the value that Dartmoor brings to local communities and visitors.  

Farming on Dartmoor is also economically extremely marginal. Defra figures nationally, for Farm Business Income in England, showed that in 2021 to 2022 Less-Favoured Area (LFA) grazing livestock farms benefitted from very high output prices (sheep prices were up by 25% on 2020 to 2021 and cattle prices by 12%), but the average direct agricultural income for these farms was still only £200 for the year.

In developing this response, the government’s focus has been on: 

• supporting and encouraging collaborative relationships between Natural England (NE) and Dartmoor’s commoners and stakeholders  
• giving farmers and land managers confidence in government policies, so they can make the most of Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes  
• supporting robust strategy and governance for Dartmoor 

Our short-term priorities include plans to: 

• create the report’s proposed Land Use Management Group (LUMG), to strengthen partnership working and provide a longer-term governance structure 
• ensure farmers on Dartmoor are supported through this transition period through the extension of their Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) agreements so they can plan to adapt to any future changes to management, agreed by the proposed LUMG
• support food production on Dartmoor through the extension of HLS agreements and transition to Environmental Land Management (ELM) agreements

Our longer-term priorities include plans to:  

• provide tailored advice for future agri-environment schemes and agreements on Dartmoor and support nature alongside food security
• explore innovative tools and ideas to better support farmers on Dartmoor in delivering environmental outcomes and maintain viable upland farming communities 

The findings and recommendations in the Review were based on the agri-environment scheme offers available at that time. In January 2024, we published an update to the Agricultural Transition Plan 2021 to 2024 which set out increases to scheme payment rates and new or amended actions for accessing scheme funding. This announcement included a new and improved moorland offer, which built on the actions that already exist in the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) scheme.  

This government response reflects the current and new agri-environment offers to provide an up-to-date picture.

Vision and governance 

The Review makes the case that Dartmoor needs a landscape-level vision, supported by a clear delivery strategy, to give stakeholders, ‘a rallying point and a clear sense of direction’. 

It notes that Dartmoor National Park Authority’s (DNPA) Partnership Plan provides such a vision and should be fully supported by Dartmoor’s commoners and stakeholders. 

The government agrees with the Review that the DNPA Partnership plan provides the strategic vision needed to make progress on Dartmoor. 

The DNPA Partnership Plan, also known as the management plan, sets out 7 themes, which describe what they want to achieve on Dartmoor, and how they will achieve this. The themes include:   

• a better response to climate change  
• better for the next generation  
• better for nature and natural beauty  
• better for cultural heritage  
• better for people  
• better for farming and forestry  
• better for business and communities  

As with every protected landscape nationally, this management plan must, by law, be reviewed every 5 years. The current DNPA Partnership plan runs until 2026, at which point it will be reviewed again. The government encourages Dartmoor commoners and stakeholders to engage with and fully support this plan. The Review endorses the plan but notes that the plan alone is not sufficient. 

The Review recommends Dartmoor stakeholder organisations and Defra Arm’s Length Bodies (ALBs) “reinforce Dartmoor’s governance through the creation of a Land Use Management Group”. It recommends the group be “tasked with developing a multi-functional land use framework and a land-use plan for Dartmoor”. 

We agree with these recommendations and recognise a role for Defra to help facilitate the implementation of a LUMG. As part of this, Defra will appoint an independent chair who will be supported by a secretariat, provided by the DNPA (and funded by Defra) in the day-to-day running of the group.   

The group will primarily be responsible for developing a multi-functional land use framework and land use plan for Dartmoor. It will also be responsible for overseeing other recommendations in the government response, under the following themes:  

• Vision and governance (recommendations 3, 4 and 5) 
• Protected site management (recommendations 7, 8 and 9) 
• Land use, ecology and biodiversity (recommendations 11, 12, 13 and 14) 
• Future of agri-environment schemes (recommendations 17, 19, 20, 23 and 25) 
• Grazing and vegetation management (recommendations 29, 30, 31, 32 and 33) 
• Rollover of HLS agreements (recommendation 36) 
• Natural England’s future operations on Dartmoor (recommendations 38, 39 and 41) 
• Dartmoor statutory bodies (recommendation 42) 

The group will run for two years. We expect the first meeting to be held no later than autumn 2024 to help inform the next steps for future agri-environment agreements in 2025 and to start making progress as soon as possible.   

The Defra appointed chair will set the membership for the group (in consultation with Defra) and will be accountable to the Defra Secretary of State (SoS). The chair will report back to the SoS in quarterly progress reports.  

Natural England supports the creation of an LUMG and is fully committed to work with the group to discuss the Review’s recommendations and agree next steps.

Defra and Natural England will take lessons learned from the Review and the LUMG and explore how some mechanisms and solutions could be shared for best practice at a national scale.

Grazing and vegetation management 

The Review sets out a wide range of vegetation management challenges faced on Dartmoor including: 

• poor hydrology, resulting from peat cutting 
• poor drainage and erosion 
• the dominance of Molinia  
• encroachment of gorse and bracken 
• poor condition of heather and dwarf shrubs communities 

Taken together, these challenges mean that largely the grazing regime is not working for farmers, the environment, food production or visitors. The Review notes that this results in wider problems, such as a build-up of flammable material across the moor and poor access. The role of grazing in contributing to and potentially solving these issues is explored in detail in the Review. 

We agree with the Review’s assessment, including the observation that under-grazing can be as much of a problem as over-grazing. The key is getting the right grazing (in terms of grazing load and species mix) in the right location at the right time of year; a challenge which is compounded by grazing on open moorland with animals straying.   

A conservation grazing regime should aim to restore and sustain heathland vegetation and diversify plant communities, such as those over-represented by a single species, for example, Molinia. It would also need to explore how shepherding can be used to even out grazing pressure and address the continuing effect of historic peatland drainage.  

Currently, it is difficult to agree a regime, because across the different commons there is not a shared view on the right sort of grazing needed on certain areas. Equally, the design of agri-environmental schemes did not always support farmers to make changes even when the right grazing regime had been identified. 

The Review recommends a number of options for grazing and vegetation management including: 

• reviewing grazing management to manage Molinia overgrowth 
• supporting more cattle on the moor to help manage Molinia and land recovered from Molinia  
• de-linking ponies and cattle to financially support ponies as a native breed/population 
• recognition of 3 species grazing as a vegetation management tool across Dartmoor 
• reduced stocking in winter where necessary and where adequate shepherding has failed (except for the semi-feral Dartmoor Hill Pony) 
• wildfire management and mitigation for effective grazing and vegetation management 

Since the Review was published, details regarding the moorland offer were published in January 2024 as part of the update to the Agricultural Transition Plan 2021 to 2024. The new approach was designed to address exactly the sort of challenges identified by the Review and we thank the Review team for their collaboration. 

The Review identifies Molinia management as a top priority for Dartmoor. The government agrees that controlling Molinia will be a crucial step towards restoring the moor. 

Within existing agreements on Dartmoor, there is flexibility for farmers and land managers to develop management plans that will help tackle Molinia, but we recognise we need to do more to break out of the current cycle faced by farmers and land managers.  

Overgrowth of Molinia and the decline of heather populations cannot be solved by a single intervention, but through a combination of different practices.  In the new moorland offer, there is an action to support grazing with cattle and/or ponies. This action is in recognition of the value both cattle and ponies bring to the moor, like creating a more varied sward structure and for effective management of Molinia.   

As part of this action, applicants must have a minimum percentage of their permitted grazing livestock units per hectare (GLU/ha) as cattle or ponies, rather than sheep. In this action, it will not be possible to have targeted cattle and pony grazing for short periods of the year over the selected stocking density. However, this will be explored as a potential approach from 2025 onwards. 

The moorland offer provides a payment for stocking cattle and/or ponies, at the appropriate density, recognising the value of ponies such as both Dartmoor ponies and Dartmoor Hill ponies for conservation grazing. As with all animals grazing the moorland, ponies must be included in the stocking density calculations linked to the moorland actions, as they contribute to grazing pressure on the moorland.  

If ponies were excluded in the stocking density calculations, the government would have no control over grazing rates on the moorland and there would be potential for significant over grazing. To balance the needs of conservation of the pony herds and grazing, the new moorland action will be subject to monitoring and evaluation. Impact on pony populations will be continually monitored for any adverse effects and mitigations will be explored to ensure no further reduction in population numbers. 

In the new moorland offer, a supplement is available for grazing land using native breeds at risk. This supplement will be available for livestock that are included in the native breed list on sensitive grazing habitats (currently this includes the semi-feral Dartmoor Hill Pony population on Dartmoor and the pedigree Dartmoor ponies). 

The government agrees with the Review in that 3 species grazing should be maintained and therefore have actions that focus on sustainable livestock management within the new SFI moorland offer.

There is also a payment in the offer for shepherding stock, which will be available on land above the moorland line. The ‘shepherding livestock on moorland’ action will pay applicants to take stock off the moorland for periods of time and actively shepherd stock whenever they are on the moor. The action has stepped payments, which offers flexibility in the amount of time stock are on the moor, and farmers can select the months most appropriate to their farm. 

Having created an ELM offer that has the potential to address many of the challenges, we need to help farmers and commoners move into updated agreements as soon as possible.  

The Review highlights the difficulties around removing stock in the winter. The government recognises difficulties faced by commoners when off wintering livestock or providing accommodation for sheep. We are exploring potential approaches to managing these issues.

The government agrees that positive action is required to help address the issue of livestock straying across the moor, as the Review recommends.  

We will welcome the employment of agisters or reeves by the Dartmoor Commoners’ Council or other stakeholders and agree to the use of any additional shepherding, where it would lead to improved management of grazing livestock.   

The Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL) programme provides another option to support action on livestock straying. FiPL provides funding for grazing management equipment, such as gates, cattle grids, and handling facilities. It also offers bespoke or innovative grazing management opportunities, including virtual fencing. Defra will determine whether it is appropriate to fund similar equipment through the ELM schemes in the future. 

Wildfire management and mitigation is another key aspect of grazing and vegetation management. The government agrees that wildfire control and prevention is a high priority on Dartmoor. Actions that will help achieve favourable condition on sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs), re-wet peatlands and increase water storage across the moorland have the dual benefit of increasing the resilience of moorland to wildfires. These actions can be funded through the ELM schemes.  

In addition, Defra is exploring how to further support farmers in mitigating wildfire risk, including through actions that maintain fire and fuel breaks on significant high-risk habitats such as moorlands. However, wildfire mitigation remains the land manager’s responsibility.

Deer are more abundant and widespread now than at any time in the past 1,000 years. Deer negatively impact woodlands, agroforestry systems and other treescapes, as their foraging activity can inhibit woodland regeneration and natural colonisation. They also cause damage to agricultural crops and result in an estimated 70,000 deer vehicle collisions in England, annually. 

There is evidence to suggest that the lethal control of deer is effective, as a measure to protect priority habitats and help manage their wider impacts. 

Through Countryside Stewardship, we already pay for actions to support the management of deer in woodlands. This year we are amending our deer management offer to fund management across the landscape, enabling more effective population control. This will include providing payment for deer management on moorlands where they are having a negative impact on priority habitats and species.

We are also increasing payment rates to better reflect the complexity of management actions required and we will continue to offer capital items for non-lethal control of deer, for example, through fencing.

Land use, ecology and biodiversity 

Despite protected site designations (SSSI and Special Areas of Conservation) on Dartmoor, the Review confirms the ecology and biodiversity of the landscape has declined. Large areas of upland heathland, peat and blanket bogs are often in poor condition because of historic peat cutting and drainage. The moor is drying out in many areas, affecting its ability to store carbon and regulate river flows. 

The government’s role is to protect the most vulnerable and important habitats while offering farmers the tools and support they need to deliver improvements to the way the environment is managed. 

Successful and sustained recovery of these habitats will take years, not least because of the harsh conditions on Dartmoor, which often result in slow vegetative growth. It will require a mixture of both short-term and long-term interventions and will need to be effectively managed through agri-environment schemes or local partnerships. The habitats on Dartmoor are all interconnected, so an integrated approach is needed. Specific actions will be required to tackle issues, like wetland restoration or Molinia management.  

The government agrees with the Review that one of the top priorities for Dartmoor is improving its hydrology and re-wetting its blanket bogs and the government is committed to improving the conditions of all peatlands in Dartmoor. The government will continue to fund peatland restoration beyond 2025 with ELM schemes being the main delivery mechanism.

The government recognises the importance of peatland projects being able to attract private finance and will continue working to help stimulate the development of high integrity nature markets capable of scaling up private investment for peatland restoration.

The Review draws attention to the Ministry of Defence’s presence on Dartmoor and the significant costs to the re-wetting of peatland in Dartmoor associated with unexploded ordnance. The Review also notes the scale of military activity in Dartmoor and the government understands that this continues to cause some disruption to peatland restoration work. The Ministry of Defence recognises the importance of peatland restoration activity in Dartmoor and is committed to working with Defra and the South West Peatland Partnership to address these barriers.  

Restoration of the open stretches of upland moorland are not the only important ecological features, but also the creation and development of wood pasture, as the Review highlights. 

Trees have far-reaching benefits for farmers, their land, and the environment. Our ELM schemes already pay for the management of existing wood pasture and woodland habitats.  

Our schemes also pay for the creation of new wood pasture where it extends, links, or buffers:  

• existing scrub 
• sites with open grown trees 
• wood pasture 
• priority woodland habitats 

The England Woodland Creation Offer (EWCO) pays for the creation of new woodland, and this will transition to become part of the ELM schemes from 2026.

From 2024, ELM schemes will also pay for the establishment and management of agro-forestry systems.  

A major project is already under way to find solutions to better protect Dartmoor’s temperate rainforest in the face of climate change, air pollution and changes in management. This is being led by Plantlife and supported by the DNPA. 

Protected site management 

In the 1980s, large areas of Dartmoor’s open moorland were designated as SSSIs and later as a Special Area of Conservation reflecting the national and international importance of Dartmoor’s moorland wildlife. 

The Review concluded that farmers and land managers on Dartmoor face several challenges when trying to understand the legal protections on their land, the current condition of the land and crucially whether that condition is improving or declining. They felt that information about protected sites, can be difficult to access or understand, meaning that farmers and land managers may not know what state a site was in when originally notified.   

There is also a lack of understanding or confidence in the robustness and scientific rigour regarding monitoring and evaluation of site condition.  

The Review made a number of recommendations about protected sites, including simplifying the legislative framework, refreshing what SSSIs are notified for, increased monitoring of SSSI condition and better communication of information about sites to landowners and managers.   

We are committed to improving the condition of protected sites. The Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP) (January 2023), confirmed our commitment to restore 75% of SSSIs to favourable condition by 2042. It also set 2 interim targets on protected sites that will drive progress to that commitment and statutory species targets. The interim targets are that by January 2028: 

• all SSSIs will have an up-to-date condition assessment 
• 50% of SSSIs will have actions on track to achieve favourable condition  

The current legislative framework for protected sites is a complex integration of domestic and assimilated law with a range of different types of designations but we believe it provides enough flexibility to address the challenges and concerns set out in the Review.  

However, we agree that improvements can be made to the way in which information about protected sites is communicated. We want to make it easier for land managers to understand site designations and associated requirements for the land they manage. We also want to make the monitoring and evaluation process more transparent than it has been to date.  

The government believes current legislation offers a sufficiently flexible approach towards understanding and improving site condition at a landscape scale. SSSI condition is a key component of assessing and understanding the requirements to meet nature recovery objectives. The feature-based scale enables a more strategic, whole SSSI or landscape scale approach to understanding and assessing condition.  

While the ecological characteristics of the SSSI features are standard across the site, the right management for achieving favourable condition will vary across the Dartmoor landscape to take account of other factors.

The existing feature-based approach allows for this variability and the agreement of tailored and bespoke approaches for individual agreements. 

Natural England is carrying out a programme of SSSI monitoring and resurveying on Dartmoor, which will be completed by the end of 2024. Natural England will share findings with stakeholders and agreement holders on each common and will explain how this data affects their views on the condition and management of SSSIs. 

There are opportunities to deliver a more strategic approach through new mechanisms and funding streams, such as Protected Sites Strategies and Landscape Recovery. Natural England will work with the LUMG to determine which of these could be best used to deliver the vision for nature recovery on Dartmoor. 

We also agree that management prescriptions for sites must be easier to understand for those managing that land. The habitat features that were originally designated and notified on Dartmoor SSSIs are still present and of national importance to this day.  Any proposed changes to designations would need to be evidence based. This would be a detailed exercise requiring significant resourcing and consultation.  

Natural England will work with the LUMG to ensure that general information on site management is more readily accessible and understandable. They have also reviewed their approach to communicating with individual agreement holders alongside the Rural Payments Agency (RPA). 

Natural England commits to working with the Review’s proposed LUMG to ensure there is a clear and common understanding about which habitats and species are protected SSSI features, and how these features are linked and affected by different land management practices. 

Our response aims to provide legal clarity regarding any operations requiring Natural England’s consent (‘ORNEC’) listed on a SSSI designation, such as grazing.  

The government agrees that more clarity is needed in relation to the status of commoners on SSSIs. Commoners are treated as ‘occupiers’ and do need to gain consent for any operations requiring Natural England’s consent listed on a SSSI designation, such as grazing . This position has not been clear in the past and, therefore, The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (WCA, 1981) was amended by the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 (CRoW, 2000), so that it is now clear that the term ‘occupier’ includes commoners.  

Since Natural England was established in 2006, they have been notifying commoners of SSSI designations. However, their predecessor organisations have not always notified commoners of SSSI designations due to the uncertainty of the meaning of “occupier” prior to the CroW 2000 amendment coming into force on 30 January 2001. 

Natural England, in consultation with Defra and stakeholder groups, is working on a strategy for how best to address any gaps in notifications for older SSSI designations. They are also assisting commoners to enter, and remain in, agri-environment agreements, pursuant to which they are compensated for agreeing to regulate their grazing rights.  

Dartmoor’s historic environment is impressive, with over 20,000 entries on the Historic Environment Record, including 1,078 Scheduled Ancient Monuments, making it one of the highest concentrations of Scheduled Monuments in England. Farmers and land managers must adhere to the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 in regard to management of scheduled monuments, and where possible, improve the management of these sites of national significance.

Future of agri-environment schemes on Dartmoor 

Under-grazing is as much of a problem as over-grazing. Reducing summer grazing of stock, particularly cattle on the moor to achieve favourable condition, has led to areas of Molinia, gorse and scrub expanding. This in turn has encouraged livestock and particularly sheep to seek out different vegetation to graze, like heather and dwarf shrubs. Reduction in this vegetation has caused further reductions of stocking numbers, and the cycle continues.  

The government agrees that we have a significant role in designing and delivering our agri-environment schemes so that they are fair, provide sufficient flexibility and sufficient reward for actions taken to achieve our environmental outcomes. The government will aim to provide a degree of certainty for farmers and their businesses.  

Defra is committed to providing a service offer that is simpler, clearer and faster. We endeavour to provide a high-quality service across our schemes and grants so that farmers and land managers can easily access our offers.  

A Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) agreement lasts for 3 years from its start date. It can be ‘upgraded’ annually to add more actions and eligible land. Countryside Stewardship (CS) agreements can be longer, multi-year agreements. Landscape Recovery (LR) offers the longest agreements. All ELM schemes are open to commoners. 

To provide a degree of certainty for business planning, in our response to the Rock Review of tenant farming in England (May 2023), the government committed to specifying:  

• the duration of each evolved CS option  
• the level of land use change for each option, from the current agricultural land uses  

The Review recommends that Dartmoor should have a single overarching agreement covering the whole moor to help drive strategic improvements and create a single unifying, vision for the whole of Dartmoor. To deliver this, it recommends that commoners should be able to be part of both a single Dartmoor- wide agreement and an agreement on their common. 

The government recognises the challenge of reconciling the needs of commoners to allow grazing of animals and farmers’ livelihoods, with the need to improve the condition of protected sites to allow nature recovery. The government agrees that a single approach is needed to reduce Molinia and gorse growth. However, a single overarching scheme or agreement may not be practical or deliverable. Dartmoor has a diverse landscape with opposing needs, and a single agreement’s scope will not sufficiently cover all requirements.  

Support for farmers and land managers to collaborate and join up across a landscape is already available through both CS and LR. Improvements to CS include targeting our funding towards actions in places where they can have the biggest impacts, including protecting our valued and irreplaceable cultural heritage. CS improvements also include targeting funding in ways that are joined up across larger areas and are designed to deliver outstanding results.  

LR focuses on bringing together landowners and managers who want to take a more large-scale, long-term approach to producing environmental and climate goods on their land. LR projects already existing on Dartmoor are also considering how to encourage land managers outside of their project areas to undertake complementary actions for a whole Dartmoor approach to strategic improvements.   

The Review recommends the possibility of introducing a Dartmoor-wide grazing scheme. This is an interesting and innovative idea. Actions that focus on common area grazing could make a real difference to the improvement of site condition and jointly support farming practices and the environment. However, the delivery of a landscape level grazing scheme would need very careful consideration. 

The bespoke agreements offered through LR could allow participants to take innovative approaches like this, that have not been possible in previous agri-environment schemes. 

Roll-over of Higher-Level Stewardship (HLS) agreements 

Environmental Stewardship agreements have shown they can help farmers deliver improvements for nature, as part of their businesses, whilst producing food. There are currently 24 HLS agreements on Dartmoor’s moorland.  

These agreements are aimed at supporting farmers, commoners, and landowners to deliver improvements for a range of environmental outcomes, including improving the condition of moorland SSSIs across Dartmoor. 

Some of these agreements have made a positive difference to SSSI condition, showing that in the right circumstances ELM schemes can support nature recovery by farming businesses. Unfortunately, the condition of protected sites covered by the majority of agreements has not improved over the lifetime of the agreement as all parties had hoped.  

The government is committed to working with agreement holders to determine how to best support them.  

We agree with the Review’s recommendations that some of the ways in which the schemes are designed and implemented have contributed to that, alongside changes in the landscape due to climate change, confusing advice over the correct action to take to see improvements and the need to ensure a viable business.  

We have created an improved ELM offer which gives the tools to implement the recommendations of the Review and allows ELM agreements to work for all parties. New agreements will take time to agree. For that reason, we agree with the Review that HLS extensions should move to a 2 plus 3-year extension arrangement.

Negotiations between parties will be conducted sensitively, to support sustainable land management alongside traditional farming practices and uphold the overall condition of protected sites. 

We have written to agreement holders to set out proposals for agreeing further annual extensions to HLS agreements going up to 2025.  We will work closely with agreement holders over the next period to help them prepare to apply for a new CS /SFI agreement, when the time is right for them to do so. We also want to work with agreement holders who want to agree further HLS extensions, with a plan of action and trajectory for further improvement of SSSI site condition.    

There are grant offers available for feasibility studies and implementation plans to help support applying for a new agreement and to look at opportunities for improvement of specific features on land.  These grants identify and support new applications for Higher Tier and are particularly relevant for those looking to move from HLS and maximise the environmental benefit on the land in a timely way. As identified in our Agricultural Transition Plan update, we are strongly committed to supporting more Higher Tier agreements in future. By the end of 2025 to 2026, we will take forward twice the number of Higher Tier type agreements per year than we do now. 

Food production 

The Review makes clear that farmers and commoners on Dartmoor are and should continue to be food producers – which the government agrees with. Dartmoor hill farms are an important part of the wider livestock supply chain. Producing high quality livestock for sale, as part of increasingly sustainably managed landscapes, should continue to be the foundation of Dartmoor farm businesses.   

The government will continue to support food production on Dartmoor and the changes necessary for it to continue.  

The Review notes the criticality of younger farmers on Dartmoor and their desire to develop their businesses. The government agrees with this and, working with The Institute for Agriculture and Horticulture (TIAH), we will be offering free membership of the institute for a year to all young (up to 40 years old) farmers on Dartmoor. Membership of TIAH is a great way for all those working in agriculture to develop their skills, access quality training resources and develop their careers. 

As well as the expanded SFI and range of grants, we are providing measures to improve animal health and welfare. These offer up to £2,000 a year for farmers who keep both sheep and cattle. The programmes will help farmers lower costs and have healthier and more productive animals on their farms. These programmes are well suited to Dartmoor and the government will focus promotion and engagement activity of them across Dartmoor over the next 18 months. 

There are 2 small abattoirs that are important for the farms on Dartmoor. The £4 million Smaller Abattoir Fund is now open and eligible smaller abattoir business owners across England, including the Dartmoor area, have been invited to apply for funding. 

Following a recent consultation, we are planning to lay legislation to establish a mandatory carcase classification and price reporting scheme for sheep slaughtered on a deadweight basis. This will help ensure that producers receive information on the classification of their livestock and that are they are paid for their animals in a fair and transparent manner. In addition, sheep farmers will be able to use the grading information provided to target market preference and improve productivity.   

Communication 

Until recently, Natural England has not been successful in building and maintaining trusted relationships with many farmers on Dartmoor. Agreement holders have reported receiving poor levels of support, advice, and communication. 

The government recognises the importance of clear and consistent communications between Defra and Defra Group organisations with individual commoners on Dartmoor and is taking an active role to fix this.   

At the Oxford Farming Conference earlier this year, the SoS committed to reviewing interactions between Defra group organisations and farmers. Defra has initiated a project focused on improving relationships between farmers and all parts of Defra group, including but not limited to Natural England, aiming to reduce any feelings of suspicion or distrust. This includes reviewing our communications to make sure they are clear and the language and tone is respectful. Defra is also creating new opportunities to listen to farmers about their recent experiences interacting with Defra, so that further improvements can be identified.

Following this, Defra has initiated a project focussed on improving the levels of trust and respect between Defra group and farmers. This includes reviewing our communications to make sure they are clear and the language and tone is respectful. Defra is also identifying opportunities to listen to farmers and apply feedback to improve our services.  

Natural England’s future operations on Dartmoor 

The Review acknowledges that Dartmoor is a very challenging environment for Natural England to work in. This is due, in part to: 

• its fragile and damaged landscape 
• its wide range of almost uniquely valuable habitats, plants, species, and heritage 
• the wide range of vested interests on the moor 
• it’s strong-minded and vocal farming community 

Trust and relationships between Dartmoor farmers and Natural England have been low but are showing signs of improving, following the Review. We agree with the Review’s assessment that this low trust has led to unhelpful behaviours from all sides at times. There is an urgent and pressing need for a reset in ways of working from all parties. 

Natural England is committed to investing in building trust and understanding with the commoners, as well as developing new, genuine partnerships with them and other stakeholders. These partnerships should work collaboratively towards the shared vision on Dartmoor, to enable the recovery of nature alongside farming.  

The government’s role will be to support and facilitate this new way of working and to ensure that commoners with support and advice from Natural England, are able to understand and take advantage of the opportunities available through the ELM schemes, to deliver the change needed to meet that vision on Dartmoor. 

Natural England supports the recommendations of the Review and has already begun work to implement them, as follows:  

• implementing the 2+3 recommendation for HLS extensions 
• bringing in additional senior staff to lead on communications for Dartmoor and to oversee the implementation of the Review’s recommendations 
• bringing in additional staff to support and advise farmers, commoners, and landowners 
• commencing a full condition survey of moorland SSSIs and repeat monitoring of the series of fixed-point quadrats established under the Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA) to ensure the evidence on SSSI condition is up to date and will make the results available
• commissioning a remote sensing project to establish change in habitat types and extent since the early 1990s 
• continuing to support the restoration of peatland through Nature for Climate funding of the South West Peatland Partnership
• developing a strategic approach to assessment and management at a ‘feature’ scale across all the moorland SSSIs which will help guide future agri-environment agreements 
• providing advice and support for the 3 Dartmoor Landscape Recovery projects 

Other Dartmoor institutions 

The Dartmoor Commoners’ Council is working at capacity to further the interests of Dartmoor’s commoners. While it is well supported by Dartmoor’s commoners, many think it could work more effectively or that Dartmoor needs a further body to share some of the functions.  

It is for the commoners and the Dartmoor Commoners’ Council to consider how they are constituted. However, we agree that it is essential that the commoners’ council is as effective as possible. We will work with the commoners’ council to support any review they think is necessary.