Ministers must get behind Uplands action plan, says CLA

The CLA today (16 February) called on Government Ministers to back an action plan to revive the struggling Uplands.

The Commons' Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Efra) Select Committee has backed reports by the CLA and the Commission for Rural Communities (CRC) calling for a push by Ministers to lift the Uplands out of the economic doldrums.

However, the CLA said Efra's specific recommendation to reintroduce headage payments is a step in the wrong direction and would not achieve long-term sustainability for hill farmers.

CLA Deputy President Harry Cotterell said: "The Efra Select Committee has broadly endorsed what everyone has agreed: the time for talking about the Uplands and their problems is over. Now is the time for action!

"The CRC reported seven months ago that the Uplands, a unique national asset, is in deep economic difficulty and that a complex set of actions spanning several government departments is needed, pushed forward by Ministers.

"The Efra report agrees that without buy-in from Defra at Ministerial level we will not get the political leverage to move this agenda on from talk to action. We would like to see an initiative announced by Defra Ministers setting out a constructive plan for the Uplands."

The CLA Deputy President said: "We fully endorsed these conclusions in our Uplands report High Hopes and spelled out in greater detail the actions required to boost agriculture and the rural economy in our upland areas.

"All agree that action is urgently needed on the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP); environmental services, especially carbon storage and water management; planning and affordable rural housing; rural services, especially broadband; renewable energy; and the remit of national parks."

Mr Cotterell added: "The report recognises that the internet is a crucial tool in reinvigorating upland areas. However, the key is to ensure universal coverage and adequate broadband speeds – a point missed by the report."

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Ollie Wilson
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ollie.wilson@cla.org.uk

Lisa O'Brien
National Press Officer

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lisa.obrien@cla.org.uk

Out of hours: 020 7201 9511

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