MP tables amendment to Environment Bill to reward farmers for maintaining the Lake District’s landscape

Today, South Lakes MP Tim Farron has tabled an amendment to the Government's Environment Bill to adequately reward farmers for maintaining Britain's beautiful landscape in places like the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales.

Tim's amendment would change the new payment scheme for farmers - the Environmental Land Management Scheme - to directly give financial support to farmers who deliver benefits to the landscape.

Speaking in the House of Commons this afternoon, Tim warned that farmers currently only get paid "a pittance" for maintaining the landscape and that the effect of more closures of family farms will devastating for both environment and the economy in Cumbria.

Tim said: "The Cumbrian tourism economy is worth more than £3bn a year and employs 60,000 people in our county.

"Underpinning that economy is the beauty of our landscape.

"World Heritage Site status was awarded to the Lake District just a few years ago by UNESCO. When you look at the report that awarded that status it gave as much credit as it did to the farmers as it did to the glaciers.

"These are managed, crafted landscapes and we need to reward the farmers that look after them."