Green scheme attracts 900 farmers

The cirl bunting is one the species doing well under the scheme

Almost 900 farmers across the north-east of England and Cumbria have signed up to a government plan to conserve and improve the countryside.

The Countryside Stewardship Scheme (CSS) is one of the government's main environmental grant schemes and encourages landowners to open up landscapes, encourage wildlife and protect historical features.

The scheme, managed by the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has seen a massive take-up amongst the region's farmers in the wake of the foot-and-mouth crisis.

A Defra spokesman said it had received almost 240 new applications from farmers to join the scheme in recent months.

The department has now made an additional £2.6m available to fund new deals in 2003.

Almost £7.5m has already been given to farmers across Tyne and Wear, Northumberland, Durham and Teesside this year.

'Sustainable farming'

Defra spokesman Neil Tulloch, said: "The Countryside Stewardship Scheme has already proved to be a very successful way of helping farmers to adopt a more sustainable system of farming, which not only benefits the farmer but the environment and wider rural economy.

"Here in the North East there is a wide range of special landscapes and habitats, from the upland areas of the Cheviots and North Pennines, the World Heritage Site surrounding Hadrian's Wall, Durham's Dales, Teesside's urban fringes and miles of beautiful coastline, much of which has international wildlife importance.

"Stewardship offers much-needed support to help farmers preserve and enhance this unique countryside, bringing benefits for their own businesses as well as local wildlife and countryside visitors.

Hedgerows restored

"We will now be working through the applications as quickly as we can and over the coming weeks Stewardship advisers will be visiting the majority of farms as part of the process of working up the agreements."

Defra says areas under Stewardship have seen a marked increase in previously declining bird species, including the stone curlew, cirl bunting, bittern and lapwing.

More than 1,000 miles of dry stone walls and 9,000 miles of hedgerow have been restored, with around 16,500 miles of grass margins established.

Between 2000 and 2006, Defra has allocated £500m to the scheme in England and Wales, with a target of bringing an additional 500,000 hectares into agreement.