Lizzy Elgie, Farm and Environmental Advisor at StephensonsRural, outlines how to fund repairs to historic farm buildings and summarises the wider grants available across the North York Moors, including FiPL.

Preserving the landscape and historic buildings in National Parks is increasingly important; without appropriate management, many features risk being lost. Through our ongoing engagement with the North York Moors National Park (NYMNP), we recognise this priority and are working with farmers and landowners to support shared goals.

Conservation and repair of historic and traditional farm buildings is a particular focus. On a recent site visit with the North York Moors’ historic buildings team, we discussed internal and external works that would protect buildings still in agricultural use, such as internal timber repairs, re-roofing and repointing.

These interventions help safeguard culturally important buildings and prevent their loss from this unique landscape.

There is currently grant support for those within the North York Moors boundary through Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL), which can fund up to 80% of actual costs for eligible projects that preserve historic or traditional buildings.

NYMNP’s historic buildings team can also offer up to £7,500 for repairs to protect non-listed buildings, with potentially higher support for listed buildings.

The FiPL scheme is currently running until 31 March 2026. While the North York Moors team hopes it will continue beyond this date, this has not yet been confirmed. FiPL helps farmers and landowners to farm productively while managing the landscape for nature, people, climate and the local area.

Who can apply for FiPL?

FiPL is open to all farmers and land managers within a National Landscape or National Park in England.

This includes farmers and land managers from the public, private and charity sector.

The programme is also open to farmers and land managers on land outside of protected landscapes.

To be eligible, the project must benefit the protected landscape or the protected landscape body’s objectives, or partnership initiatives.

FiPL funds projects that offer value for money and deliver outcomes for:

• Climate: carbon storage/sequestration, flood risk reduction, climate resilience.
• Nature: more and better-connected, better-managed wildlife-rich habitats, increased biodiversity.
• People: access, understanding and engagement (incl. diverse audiences, volunteering).
• Place: conserve/interpret historic features; enhance landscape character; support resilient nature-friendly farm businesses (alongside other outcomes).

What else is available?

In addition to building preservation, FiPL can support projects such as pond restoration or creation, wildlife-rich habitat creation, hedgerow planting and educational engagement.

Other grants available for those in North York Moors including:

• Strategic Boundary Fund
• Woodland Creation Grant
• Woodland Management Grant
• Accessibility Grant
• Landscape Tree Scheme

If you’d like to discuss eligibility, timescales or next steps, or to register your interest with North York Moors, please contact Lizzy Elgie or Chris Muir at StephensonsRural.