A NEW body has been created to represent Britain's hill and moorland farms and communities.

The Uplands Alliance was officially launched at the national uplands conference held at Newton Rigg College, Penrith, last week.

Lord Inglewood, whose Eden family seat is at Hutton-in-the-Forest, has been appointed president and the chairman is Professor Michael Winter, who is director of the Centre for Rural Policy Research at Essex University.

The aim of the alliance is to link various groups such as farmers and land managers with researchers and policy makers to ensure sustainability of the uplands and to act as a 'policy lab', enabling the development and testing of new approaches.

The body's creation was welcomed by Westmorland and Lonsdale MP Tim Farron, who is chairman of the All-party Parliamentary Group on Hill Farming.

"It's a great idea. We do need to get interested parties to work together to ensure the future sustainability of the uplands and moorlands," he said.

"Hill farmers and their communities face real economic challenges and these can only be really addressed by groups who have the interests of the uplands in common, such as the NFU, the National Trust and the farmers themselves, working together."

The Uplands Alliance plans to run a series of workshops covering sustainable farm business models, high nature value farming, peatland restoration, common land and farmer networks.

A spokesman said: "As well as being a forum for debate, these workshops will provide an opportunity for attendees to shape the future work of the Uplands Alliance."