National Landscapes are warning of a nature and climate catastrophe and a failure to reach 30by30 (UN pledge to protect 30% of land and sea for nature by 2030) if Defra cuts funding for National Landscapes and the Farming in Protected Landscapes programme ends. As managers prepare budgets for 2025/26 Government has failed to provide clarity on the funding situation – rumoured 12% cuts would see up to 38% of staff could lose their jobs, some National Landscapes will be entirely mothballed within 12 months and nature and climate projects will be left on the shelf.

There are 46 National Landscapes across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. They cover 15% of England, 20% of the coastline and are home to 10% of the UK’s farmland. They are in a prime position to help the UK reach its climate and nature targets. Many are staffed by teams in single figures, meaning cuts of this scale are literally existential.

John Watkins, Chief Executive of the National Landscapes Association said:
“Government has high expectations of National Landscapes as the backbone of nature recovery to meet its international commitments and legal targets. But on the eve of the 75th anniversary of the Act which created National Landscapes, National Parks and National trails, the situation has never been more dire.”

National Landscapes receive more visitors combined than National Parks, they cover almost double the area of the Parks, experience significantly higher levels of pressures from both farming and development, the value of the landscape is equal in law and yet they receive 16% of the core funding of National Parks and have seen financial cuts of more than 40% since 2010.

John continues:
“25 years ago the new Labour Government was advised by the Countryside Commission to increase funding for National Landscapes to £19m (£35m in today’s money), but they didn’t heed that advice. 25 years later, we are in the same situation with a new Labour government, but with the threat of further cuts in the face of a nature and climate crisis. We are calling on the government to truly invest in nature.”

Throughout this chronic underfunding, National Landscapes teams have shown their ingenuity, securing funding from external sources to continue to deliver. Now the situation has hit crisis point, further cuts will mean reductions in core teams such that they will not even have the staff to apply for external funding and their nature restoration efforts will grind to a halt. The Labour Government claims to feel a great pride in being the heirs to the visionary Labour government that brought forward the landmark legislation that led to the protection of these places in the 1949 National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act yet shows very little sign of being deserving of this legacy.

With adequate funding, by 2030 National Landscapes aim that at least 200,000 hectares (1 ¼ times the size of London) of Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) will be in favourable condition; 100,000 hectares of wildlife-rich habitat outside of SSSIs will be created or restored (nine times the size of Manchester); and 36,000 hectares of woodland (roughly the size of the Isle of Wight), will be regenerated. National Landscapes will also focus on habitat restoration to ensure the protection of some of our most endangered species such as the hazel dormouse, red squirrel and hen harrier, and increase their work to help more people to enjoy time spent in beautiful places.

John continues:
“From the Government we want to see a recommitment to current funding of £35 million per year for National Landscapes Partnerships, which includes a continuation of the FiPL programme – a proven, cost-effective way to achieve landscape conservation and enhancement. We are also calling for a prudent additional investment of £11 million per year to rebuild National Landscapes’ capacity and position them to help deliver government targets, whilst taking advantage of immediate opportunities to lever in new external resources including private finance, which will greatly multiply government investment.”

Sarah Gibson manages the Tamar Valley National Landscape - the newest National Landscape - which has delivered numerous successful nature, climate, access and heritage projects over its 30 year history.

Sarah said:
“Funding for National Landscapes is woefully inadequate. Our teams drive holistic plans for these nationally and internationally important places. We convene, deliver and enable work coordinating multiple agencies to benefit Nature, people and climate. We’re under significant pressure from development, decreases in funding, and degrading Nature, yet we are tasked to provide services as the backbone of Nature recovery. If we truly value our natural landscapes and our Nature, National Landscapes require greater investment to stabilise and build on our work."

The Tamar Valley National Landscape ensures the whole place is considered and managed effectively, across farmland, forests, rivers, villages and spanning 5 local authority areas and 23 Parish Council areas. The team has targeted investment of more than £4m in the past 3 years, in tree planting, hedgerow, wetland and wildflower meadow creation, safeguarding our wildlife including dormice, Greater horseshoe bats, hedgehogs and salmon, historic building restoration, and assisted our communities to access the landscape through education, volunteering and walking.

Sarah continued:
"In the Tamar Valley, we celebrate 30 years of our protected landscape status in 2025, and will launch our next 5 year management plan to deliver toward 30 by 30 targets and Defra’s Targets and Outcomes Framework (2025-2050). Yet we also face a 20% reduction in our core services as a result of proposed budget cuts. It’s an appalling situation.”