Lake District group in Uplands campaign

A PRESSURE group which aims to protect and enhance Cumbria stunning landscapes has been briefing the county’s MPs ahead of today’s adjournment debate in Parliament on upland farming.

Doublas Chalmers, director of Friends of the Lake District, said: “The Uplands, such a significant part of our Cumbrian landscape, have been debated for many, many years, and the problems they face not only remain but are becoming more acute. ‘On a knife edge’ sounds so dramatic, but I do not think that this is an overstatement in this case.”

Chalmers said there remained a general lack of understanding of how the Uplands work, how much society benefits, and of the constraints faced by those who manage these areas.

“They are very special areas, but they should not be thought of as simply areas for farms and tourists,” he said. “The benefits they provide include food, biodiversity, woodlands, renewable energy, climate change mitigation and both built and cultural heritage.

“Our farmers are getting older, many farming families have no identified successor, and they face economic, political, climatic and environmental constraints.