The £30m purchase of the estate has raised questions over the future of working farms and agricultural production
The future of 12 working farms has come under scrutiny after The Wildlife Trusts completed a £30 million purchase of a vast Northumberland estate, amid concerns over food production, tenant farmers and government funding.
The conservation charities confirmed on Friday (30 October) that they had secured the 9,500-acre Rothbury Estate following a two-year fundraising campaign backed by Sir David Attenborough.
The estate, which includes farmland, moorland, woodland and the Simonside Hills, was put up for sale by Lord Max Percy, the Duke of Northumberland's youngest son.
The purchase is intended to create one of England's largest landscape-scale nature recovery projects, combining wildlife restoration with changes to agricultural management.
However, the proposals have divided opinion locally, with questions raised about the future of livestock production and the viability of farming businesses operating on the land.
Under previously reported plans, sheep numbers could fall from around 1,500 to 500, while cattle numbers could increase from approximately 50 to 200.
The Wildlife Trusts have confirmed that sheep numbers will be reduced and cattle numbers increased on farms managed directly by the charities, as part of efforts to introduce different grazing practices and encourage biodiversity.
However, the organisations say they intend to support existing tenant farmers and that regenerative farming practices will be optional for remaining tenanted farms.
The project has also attracted political scrutiny after Defra pledged £1.94 million towards the acquisition.
During a parliamentary Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee hearing on Tuesday (27 October), chairman Alistair Carmichael questioned whether the spending sent the right message to farmers who had been unable to secure Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) funding.
The SFI application window in September closed within six hours after its £253 million budget was allocated, leaving thousands of farmers unable to access support.
Mr Carmichael challenged Defra officials over the decision to help fund the estate purchase at a time when farmer confidence in the department was under pressure.
Defra farming director Mike Rowe responded: "This funding did not come from the farming budget."
He explained that the contribution came from elsewhere within Defra's resources and supported the government's international commitment to protect 30% of land and sea for nature by 2030.
Mr Rowe also acknowledged concerns about existing farming businesses, telling MPs that the department would examine how the purchase might affect tenants on the estate.
Asked whether conditions would be attached to the funding, he said he did not know the details.
The controversy follows criticism from Northumberland Conservative councillor Guy Renner-Thompson, who questioned government spending priorities while farmers were struggling to access agricultural support.
Concerns have also been expressed by members of the local farming community.
Earlier this year, tenant farmer Chris Armstrong, who farms around 1,000 acres near the estate, told the BBC that local opinion was sharply divided over the conservation proposals.
"I think the majority of the farming community see this as a folly," he said.
However, The Wildlife Trusts maintain that the project will demonstrate how productive farming and nature recovery can operate alongside one another.
The charities say livestock grazing will remain an important part of the estate, with plans to develop markets for locally produced food and explore further agricultural enterprises, including market gardening.
Their longer-term ambitions include restoring wetlands, expanding native woodland and improving habitats for species such as curlew, lapwing and red squirrels.
The organisations also hope the estate will form part of a 40-mile nature recovery corridor stretching from the Northumberland coast towards Kielder and the Scottish border.
The purchase follows the largest fundraising campaign in The Wildlife Trusts' history, supported by more than 25,000 donors.
Members of the public contributed more than £17 million, while the National Lottery Heritage Fund provided £5 million alongside Defra's £1.94 million pledge.
The charities confirmed they had taken out a low-interest loan to bridge the temporary gap between pledged funds still to be received and the money required to complete the purchase.
Sir David Attenborough, president emeritus of The Wildlife Trusts, welcomed the successful campaign.
"The Wildlife Trusts called for your support and you answered in your thousands," he said.
He added that the estate presented an opportunity for nature, farming, communities and heritage to work together for future generations.
Craig Bennett, chief executive of The Wildlife Trusts, said the purchase would provide an opportunity to restore nature across a significant area of northern England.
He said the charities intended to work alongside local farmers, communities and land managers as the project developed.
Mike Pratt, chief executive of Northumberland Wildlife Trust, described the acquisition as a defining moment for the region, with the potential to support sustainable farming and the rural economy.
However, questions remain over how the conservation ambitions will translate into practical arrangements for the estate's working farms.