Farms vanishing around towns and cities, our new report reveals

Our recent report on farming on the urban fringe shows that more than 1,700 farms have disappeared from the edges of towns and cities since 2010. We’re calling on the government to recognise the vital role of the countryside around our towns and cities and make good on its commitment to a land use framework and a brownfield-first housebuilding policy.

More than 1,700 farms on the outskirts of English towns and cities have disappeared since 2010, according to a groundbreaking report by CPRE, the countryside charity. The report shows that urban-area agricultural land – capable of feeding communities and providing environmental benefits – is disappearing quickly.

This loss totals 56,000 hectares of farmland, similar in size to Leeds, impacting food security and environmental sustainability. While the areas studied in the report represent just 11.3% of UK agricultural land, they produce an outsize proportion of foods including wheat (20.6%), oats (20.6%), barley (20%), potatoes (14.3%) and milk (13.3%).

These farms provide food security, act as green buffers supporting ecosystems, reduce food miles, and contribute £3.3 billion annually to the UK economy.

This crisis creates uncertainty for agriculture after Defra announced the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) scheme would pause. This post-Brexit programme rewarded farmers for environmental stewardship but stopped last month, cutting off crucial financial support for farmers.

CPRE’s new report follows its earlier research that showed how 14,000 hectares of England’s most productive farmland have been lost to development since 2010, 60% of what remains is at high risk of flooding, and climate data from the 1940s is still being used to classify the quality of UK agricultural land.

Farms around towns and cities ‘vital’

Graeme Willis, agricultural lead at CPRE, said:

‘Farms around our towns and cities produce vital quantities of food but are disappearing at an alarming rate. Every hectare of farmland lost is more than just a statistical decline, it’s an erosion of our countryside and our fundamental national resilience.

‘Farmers are being asked to produce sustainable food, protect biodiversity, improve soil health and combat climate change – all while facing unprecedented economic challenges and pressures from development. Without proper support systems in place, we risk losing not just farms close to towns and cities but doing serious damage to the UK agricultural sector overall.

‘The government should urgently join up its policies on land use, food security and agricultural support in a way that recognises the vital role of the countryside around our towns and cities. This means strengthening planning protections for agricultural land and providing the necessary support to farmers to both put food on people’s plates and better manage the environment for future generations.’

View or download the report

The full report can be accessed here

Alternatively, read the shorter digital version of the report here.