A major Cumbrian environmental project could soon be set for approval.
The Penrith2Kendal Arc Landscape Recovery scheme (P2K), spanning more than 16,500 hectares across 39 farms from Penrith to Kendal, is now awaiting a decision from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) after plans were submitted.
This decision will determine whether the scheme progresses to a 20-year delivery agreement.
Projects like this form Defra’s Landscape Recovery programme.
Across England, similar schemes are now progressing, including the Upper Duddon project in Cumbria.
The P2K scheme has been developed through collaboration between farmers and conservation partners, with support from Cumbria Connect.
Defra officials recently visited Longsleddale in Cumbria to meet the Penrith2Kendal Arc Community Interest Company (CIC) interim board, project team, and local farmers.
They toured Nether House and Dockernook farms to see how the recovery plans could be implemented in the field.
Kate Sutton, interim chair of the Penrith2Kendal board, said: "This visit has been a fantastic opportunity to show how the project will work on the ground.
"It’s one thing to see plans on paper, but another to stand in the valley and hear directly from the farmers involved.
"What’s important is that this has been shaped by those farmers, through a one member, one vote system that gives everyone an equal say regardless of the size of their holding.
"That has been central to building trust and making sure what’s been developed here is both fair and deliverable in practice."
During the visit, Andrew Sutton explained how river restoration and wetland creation at the farm could help protect water quality in the River Sprint—a Site of Special Scientific Interest—and reduce flood risk downstream in Kendal.
The scheme’s goals extend beyond individual landholdings.
Plans also include expanding public access, and creating educational and volunteering opportunities.
The P2K scheme is now under formal review by Defra, which will carry out an process to assess whether it will move forward to a long-term delivery agreement.
If approved, the project would become one of the largest landscape recovery schemes in the UK.
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