The future of England’s uplands - Our evidence for the EFRA Select Committee

In April 2026, Dr Hilary Cottam published an independent Defra Uplands Review on the future of England’s uplands. The purpose of the review was to assess challenges facing English upland farmers and farming communities. Dr Cottam stated in her preface that “England’s uplands will be critical to any meaningful attempts to restore nature. These landscapes are also home to farms and common land which for centuries have sustained a rural way of life including farming, conservation and stewardship.”

The review highlighted 19 insights for system level change in Upland communities, all 19 insights are relevant to common land and one of the points is specifically focused on commons.  Whilst not all Upland land is common land, 80% of common land and common grazings are found in uplands, making the review very pertinent to commoners, common land and FCL.

Following this review, FCL submitted written evidence to the EFRA Select Committee and then were chosen to be one of only three organisations to provide further oral evidence to the EFRA committee. 

Please find the link to our written evidence here.

Please find the link to the transcript of our oral evidence here.