£2m scheme to revitalise historic buildings in Peak District

A £2m grant scheme is being rolled out across the Peak District National Park, which offers funding for landowners to restore their historic farm buildings.

The Historic Building Restoration Grant is also being piloted in the Yorkshire Dales, Lake District, Northumberland, and Dartmoor National Parks.

The newly launched scheme aims to save iconic historic farm buildings in the English National Parks from falling out of use. Owners of these buildings can apply for a grant, which offers 80 per cent towards the cost of restoration, which can include replacing the roof, weatherproofing the exterior, or other restoration works so that the building can be used again for farming purposes.

David Morris, of the architecture and building surveying team at Savills in the Midlands, said: “The traditional farm buildings situated within our national parks behold a vast amount of charm, character and beauty and it is fantastic that their historic value and importance, particularly their contribution in landscape value, has been recognised. It is excellent news for our most scenic landscape that such a scheme has been put in place to confront the real threat of loss to otherwise potentially unviable investment.

“This grant will not only allow for the repair of buildings, but more importantly it will enable those repairs to be carried out in an appropriate manner, being respectful of traditional construction and thus safeguarding our rural history and culture for the future.”

The grant is supported by an implementation plan which is fully funded so that applicants can work with national park advisers to develop a management plan to deliver the restoration, engaging conservation consultants where necessary.

The scheme is open for applications until 31 January 2019. Once it is approved, agreement holders will have two years to complete the works.