CUMBRIA’S upland communities could be revived by a more flexible planning system, according to a hill farmer who has helped piece together the findings of a year-long inquiry.

A report from the Government-funded Commission for Rural Communities claims hill farming is on the brink of extinction due to very poor wages, a lack of young people, diseases such as foot-and-mouth and flooding.

But Will Cockbain, NFU uplands spokesman, believes the cash-strapped Tory-Lib Dem alliance could turn things on its head without spending a penny.

“The report highlights the need for sustainable and more flexible planning and I believe this could be implemented quite quickly and it wouldn’t cost the Government any money but would stimulate the industry.

“Providing more affordable housing - proper, desirable houses - would encourage youngsters to stay in the communities because they are the future.”

Commissioned last year by former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, the report aims to alert the country to the need to ensure its uplands are maintained to support farmers, communities, and the environment.

“This is a very comprehensive report which demonstrates how vital the role of hill farmers is,” said Mr Cockbain. “It will be interesting to see how the new Government takes this on board.”

Among the report’s main recommendations are: - to develop a strategy to protect the uplands and maximise its benefits; - recognise that support and investment in thriving upland communities is critical; - develops a new approach to rewarding farmers for managing national assets while developing businesses and market enterprises.

Westmorland and Lonsdale MP Tim Farron is the chair of the Hill Farming All Party Parliamentary Group and he said: “This inquiry is the perfect opportunity to impress upon the public the need to reward upland farmers for the goods they produce or else run the risk of watching the industry decline even further.

“The fundamental problem is hill farmers are not being paid enough to cover the costs of all the benefits they produce.”

Crooklands-based Douglas Chalmers, director of CLA North, also believes it is essential to reward hill farmers for their work.

He said: “The uplands are not a natural environment, they are a natural resource that is on the whole managed by man. The report recognises that current funding mechanisms will not unlock the potential of the uplands.

“We must not overlook that the countryside we enjoy is owned and maintained by someone, even if they are rarely seen.“