A JOINED-UP approach to working with farmers and the community on the North York moors is having a major impact on the environment, economy and local people.

The first annual report of the farm and rural community scheme - one of a handful of national land management initiatives supported by the Countryside Agency across England - was launched at Castleton on Thursday of last week.

At the launch were representatives of the key funding partners: Mr Chris Armitage, regional director of the Countryside Agency; Mr Andy Tordoff, head of rural development at Yorkshire Forward; and Mr Andy Wilson, chief executive of the North York Moors National Park.

In the last year the scheme, headed by Mr Fraser Hugill, project co-ordinator, has had many successes. It has:

l set up 19 new land management agreements involving 723 hectares of farmland;

l undertaken eight community environmental improvement projects;

l contracted a community caretaker to maintain village features;

l set up community groups and facilitated 18 community meetings to develop local ideas and projects.

Mr Hugill said the year had demonstrated just how much could be achieved through partnership working.

"It is the interest and commitment of local people that is making the difference which everyone is starting to see in the landscape," he said. "The lessons from the scheme will play an important role in achieving what must be the objective of any rural policy: to have a sustainable environment, vibrant community and a viable rural economy."

Mr Armitage said the Countryside Agency was very pleased with the scheme. "It is already indicating how rural policy might need to change in the future," he said.

Mr Andy Tordoff said Yorkshire Forward fully supported the initiative.

"Our close working relationship with agencies such as the Countryside Agency and national park authorities will ensure we adopt a co-ordinated, bottom-up approach and reduce bureaucracy," he said.

Mr Andy Wilson, chief executive of the North York Moors national park, said the scheme turned ideas into reality. "It gets people working together," he said. It should be the model for a new generation of rural schemes."

The scheme operates in a pilot area encompassing Castleton, Commondale and Westerdale in the upper Esk Valley of the North York Moors national park.

The work completed so far includes the land management agreements and successful countryside stewardship scheme applications in 1999 and 2000.

The farm and rural community scheme and the moorland regeneration programme have jointly secured funding for cattle grids to assist with the management of sheep on Castleton Rigg.

High levels of communication have been maintained throughout the year, with 18 group, forum or open meetings held with the local community. Community groups have been established and eight community projects identified and undertaken by the groups.

The community caretaker is carrying out regular maintenance work within the area. The idea emerged as a priority in the initial consultation process.

A profile of the agricultural and rural economy in the area has been undertaken and a countryside character and environmental capital assessment is being undertaken.

The organisers say the scheme has already shown that the bottom-up approach has provided real benefits in terms of working with the whole rural community to achieve common goals.

"It delivers results which local people want to see, provides a sense of ownership, optimises the use of resources and avoids the creation of 'white elephant' projects," says the report.

The land management agreements have involved very little paper work on the part of the farmer, which has helped achieve a 70pc uptake by farmers within the area.

Stronger links between farmers and the wider rural community have helped eliminate false perceptions.

A study revealed that the benefits and disadvantages of tourism were differently regarded within the area. Farmers perceived problems such as stock disturbance and litter, and few benefits to their businesses. Shop keepers and hoteliers saw the money tourists brought in to the area as vital to their viability.

The report says agri-environment schemes and their funding need to respond to local circumstances and involve local farmers and communities in their design.

The importance of maintaining the existing environmental value - and paying for gain - implies a need to reconsider the basis of many agri-environment and agricultural support mechanisms.

The tailored farm and rural community scheme land management agreements have been necessary as countryside stewardship's nationally based options do not reflect local farming circumstances.

In the ten years before the scheme, only two stewardship agreements were set up in the area; there are now 19 land management agreements.

The report also says environmental training and assessing the need for new skills is important as it engenders a greater ownership and understanding by those taking part.

In Westerdale, where a history course was run, a number of farmers are now much more aware of the value of environmental features