Penwith Landscape Recovery Project

There is a new SSSI in the far west of Cornwall across the moors and downs of Penwith. It’s a special and ancient place; rich in wildlife and ancient sites, yet still a living, working landscape.

However, the SSSI is in unfavourable condition and teeters on the edge of species loss. The heathlands need to see widespread cattle grazing return. The fens need plentiful clean water flowing in through the farmland if they are to become resilient and thrive once again. This project will enable the many small family farms to rise to this challenge, for the benefit of everyone. 

The SSSI is over 3000ha so best served by a large-scale scheme. Unusually, productive farmland is included in the notification, to protect the water quality of the valley wetlands. All habitats included in the SSSI need active management to maintain their features. Thankfully, Penwith has a collective of ready, willing and knowledgeable land managers. We cannot hope to enhance the SSSI without supporting multiple small farm businesses.  

Cornwall Wildlife Trust has successfully applied for Landscape Recovery on behalf of a wide group of farmers and land managers ranging from small holders to beef and dairy farms, up to large landowners who lease several tenanted farms. The Trust has been working with farmers and landowners in Penwith for over a decade but has had an interest in the area for much longer. We were involved in the designation of the former West Penwith Environmentally Sensitive Area back in 1987.

This project is unique because it also offers the opportunity to develop a plan for improved site access across the project area, working in collaboration with local residents, community groups and businesses.

What is Landscape Recovery?

Landscape Recovery is one of three Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes, funded by DEFRA, alongside Sustainable Farming Incentive and Countryside Stewardship.

All 3 schemes will support farmers to deliver similar things – clean and plentiful water, thriving plants and wildlife, climate change adaptation and mitigation, and healthy soils – but each will do so in different ways.

Landscape Recovery offers farmers and land managers the opportunity to co-design a bespoke agreement to produce environmental and climate goods across landscape scale projects.

There are 4 main distinguishing features of the Landscape Recovery scheme:

1.  Large-scale projects: the scheme is designed to deliver outcomes that require collaborative action across a big area, such as restoring ecological or hydrological function across a landscape.

2. Long-term public funding (e.g. for 20 years or longer): the scheme will support outcomes that take a long time to deliver, such as peatland restoration, woodland management, or habitat restoration.

3. Bespoke agreements: the scheme can fund activities that contribute to priority outcomes which are specific to the locality and so difficult to facilitate through other schemes.

4. Blended funding: the features above and the provision of development funding should enable projects to attract private investment.

What are Cornwall Wildlife Trust doing?

Cornwall Wildlife Trust are coordinating the Penwith Landscape Recovery project on behalf of over 50 landowners in West Penwith to co-design the scheme. The development of this scheme will take 2 years, after which we hope to move to an implementation phase over the next 20 years and beyond.

We have a team in place to work with farming and wider community during the 2-year development phase of the Penwith Landscape Recovery project. This includes three Land Management Advisers who will provide tailored support for interested landowners, a Community Engagement Officer to consult with the public and community groups on how they use the landscape, a Data & Evidence Officer to lead on monitoring and evaluating the success of the project, and a Project Manager and Project Support Officer to ensure the project runs smoothly.

Community Events

Throughout October and November, we’ll be hosting 8 ‘Cake & Collaboration’ events across Penwith to find out more about how the community, local businesses, landowners and residents are currently using the West Penwith Landscape and how they would like to use it in the future. The events are free to attend, and all are welcome. See the full schedule below:

• Thursday 24^th October 2024, 18:30 – 20:30 – Zennor Church Hall

• Saturday 26^th October 2024, 12:30 – 14:30 – Sancreed Village Hall

• Saturday 26^th October 2024, 18:30 – 20:30 – Sancreed Village Hall

• Friday 8^th November 2024, 12:30 – 14:30 – Madron, Landithy Hall

• Friday 8^th November 2024, 18:30 – 20:30, Madron, Landithy Hall

• Wednesday 13th November 2024, 18:30 - 20:30 – St Just WI Hall

• Friday 15^th November 2024, 18:30 – 20:30 – Towednack, Gilbert Hall

• Thursday 21^st November 2024, 18:30 – 20:30 – Pendeen, Centre of Pendeen

Landowner Engagement

Our Land Management Advisers are working with landowners who have signed up for the scheme, to supporting them with free and impartial advice to look at ways their businesses can access existing, shorter term financial agri-environmental schemes and incentives. The next stage will be to collaborate with them to design and coordinate a longer-term landscape recovery plan bespoke to the needs of their businesses, the wider community and environment. Crucially, this will enable landowners to earn income on land over the next 20+ years if the scheme is approved. This could include land which has recently been designated SSSI status.

If you are a landowner in West Penwith, who is not yet involved in the scheme but would like to find out more, please contact us on the email address below, or attend one of our community events.

For more information or to get involved, please contact PLRTeam@cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk