LUC undertook a major piece of research to assess the effectiveness of agri-environment schemes (AES) in maintaining and enhancing landscape character, quality and resilience in England. 

This project followed on from previous research undertaken by LUC in 2013 to develop a National Character Area (NCA) Indicators and Thresholds database.

Natural England commissioned this work.

Our work helped Natural England understand how changes in AES delivery (from Environmental Stewardship to Countryside Stewardship) have impacted landscapes across the country. 

This information is crucial for informing future AES development and policy decisions.

LUC, working alongside Julie Martin Associates, developed the methodology used to assess the current landscape effects of AES.

This methodology was then applied consistently across all 159 National Character Areas (NCAs) of England. It provided a robust baseline against which future effects can be assessed.

Our research found options for habitats such as woodland, hedgerows and species-rich grassland are having the most widespread positive impact on landscape character.

We used the results of our analysis to assess how the effects of climate change might alter the character of landscapes in England, and how AES options help landscapes to be more resilient to these changes.

We found in many cases those options making a positive contribution to landscape character are also helping to deliver resilient landscapes, but improved targeting of these options in future would better support those landscapes most vulnerable to climate change.

We also used our research to review the impact of AES within Protected Landscapes. We found that proportionally, impacts are more often positive or strongly positive for the landscapes within National Parks and National Landscapes when compared to England as a whole.

Our findings provide valuable evidence to inform the development of the new Environmental Land Management (ELM) scheme.