Contract: Fixed Term until 31/03/2027
Salary: HC07 £31,067 - £35,235
Hours: 37
Location: Hereford
Closing Date: 01/04/2025
Interview Date: 09/04/2025
Summary
Want to help farmers in an area of outstanding natural beauty? This is an exciting opportunity to work within the Wye Valley National Landscape Team to help deliver the hugely successful Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL) programme and exciting new Fermio Bro scheme throughout the National Landscape. These programmes provide support for farmers and land managers in England and Wales to conserve and enhance the outstanding landscape and help prepare for the transition away from direct farm payments.
The post is full time (37 hours per week) until 31st March 2027. You’ll be based within the small, friendly and dynamic Wye Valley National Landscape Team, and employed through Herefordshire Council. The National Landscape Office is in Monmouth, but a lot of the work will be meeting potential applicants and grantees on site in the beautiful Wye Valley landscape in South Herefordshire, eastern Monmouthshire and the western edge of the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire.
What you will be doing
The FiPL programme has been running for four years delivering grants for projects meeting Climate, Nature, People and Place objectives on farms. Its success both in the Wye Valley and nationally has led to two programme extensions beyond the original 2024 end date. Fermio Bro is an exciting development for the National Landscapes and National Parks in Wales starting in April 2025 and will deliver grants for projects with a Nature Recovery focus.
You will be the primary point of contact between the National Landscape Team and the farming and land management community. The key areas of work are:
- Providing advice and guidance to potential applicants and supporting them through the grant application process.
- To work in partnership with others to develop landscape-scale projects
- Helping monitor how the grants deliver on the programme outcomes
- Oversee the running of the Programmes, including support to the Local Assessment Panels.
This post will be managed by the National Landscape Development Officer with supervision from the National Landscape Manager. Help will also be available from existing members of the Wye Valley National Landscape Team, such as the Business Support Assistant, Nature Recovery Officer and Project Officers.
About you
You will have a sound understanding of farming and land management, including the wider agri-environment sector in England and Wales. You’ll have knowledge and experience of countryside conservation and access. You’ll have worked with farmers and land managers to achieve environmental outcomes. You will be able to communicate effectively. You’ll be self-motivated and able to work on your own initiative to tight deadlines. You’ll be an effective part of a small team. You’ll be up for a challenge!
This position has a significant travel requirement. This means that there is a requirement for a vehicle (or transport deemed to be suitable by the council) to be available on most working days to carry out normal duties. There is an electric van pool vehicle for team use, but it will not be available forsxclusive use.
To discuss this post, please contact Andrew Blake, Wye Valley National Landscape Manager, on 01600 713977 or [email protected], or Nick Critchley, National Landscape Development Officer on 07904 017982 or [email protected]
Other Information
Farming in Protected Landscapes is a Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) supported grant programme, delivered by protected landscapes in England. Project funding currently runs until March 2026, with project officer funding secure until March 2027. It aims to help farmers and foresters address the climate and biodiversity crisis, improve people’s engagement with the landscape, and support sustainable farm businesses and communities. Grant applications are made by farmers and foresters to the Wye Valley National Landscape team. Applications are then assessed for viability and eligibility before being put before the FiPL Local Assessment Panel to make a decision.
Fermio Bro: Farming in Designated Landscapes is a Welsh Government Scheme starting in April 2025. Farmers registered with Rural Payments Wales (RPW) will be able to apply to the National Landscape Team for funding to deliver projects which deliver bigger and better outcomes for the environment, people and communities; integrate positive farming practices with the purposes of Designated Landscapes; support the delivery of the commitment to protect 30% of land and sea for nature by 2030 (30x30). Application will be assessed by a scheme specific Local Assessment Panel for decisions.
On 22 November 2023, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty rebranded as National Landscapes. This captures the essence of our work – the ambition, collaboration, commitment and readiness to serve and share for the good of our landscapes; for nature, climate, people and place. We will continue to convene powerful coalitions, enable partners and communities to vision the change they agree through the democratically derived AONB Management Plan, and empower everyone to deliver in partnership across the entirety of a landscape, our nationally designated Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The change to National Landscapes is an opportunity to broadcast this work clearly and loudly.
The Wye Valley National Landscape was designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in 1971 and covers 92km (58 miles) of the lower reaches of the River Wye totalling an area of 327km² (126 square miles), from Mordiford in the north, just east of the city of Hereford, southwards to the outskirts of Chepstow. The Wye Valley National Landscape is unique among the 46 Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and 14 National Parks in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland in being the only protected landscape to straddle a national boundary; being 64% in England and 36% in Wales.
The Wye Valley National Landscape, one of the nations 46 AONBs, is regarded as one of the finest lowland landscapes in Britain. With the river as the centrepiece, it is an area of striking contrasts. From the broad meadows and gentle slopes of the fertile Herefordshire lowlands, the river meanders southwards across its floodplain past Ross-on-Wye and into the dramatic wooded gorge of Symonds Yat and the steeper forested valley, with a mosaic of mixed farmland, towards Tintern and the estuary. Agriculture, forestry and tourism are the main industries with farmland covering 58% of the National Landscape and woodland 27.5%.
The Wye Valley National Landscape Team is the lead delivery agent for the Wye Valley National Landscape Partnership dedicated to conserving & enhancing the nationally designated Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), guided by the statutory Wye Valley AONB Management Plan and staffed by employees of the representative local authorities; Forest of Dean District Council, Herefordshire Council and Monmouthshire County Council. The National Landscape Partnership is led by the Wye Valley National Landscape/AONB Joint Advisory Committee (JAC) established under agreement by the Forest of Dean District Council, Gloucestershire County Council, Herefordshire Council and Monmouthshire County Council with core grant contributions from Welsh Government through Natural Resources Wales and DEFRA.
Benefits of working for Herefordshire Council:
A competitive salary, generous holiday entitlement, and access to our contributory pension and staff benefits scheme, which includes:
- Pension Scheme Enrolment in the Local Government (LGPS)
- Generous Annual Leave: 31 days’ annual leave (pro rata) plus bank holidays. You can also purchase an additional 10 days per annum
- Flexible working: flexi-time, job-share, part-time hours and, in some instances, home working
- Employee Assistance Programme: 24/7 access to support and counselling
- Payment of professional membership fees
- Pick your perks – our benefits include access to a range of retail, leisure, holiday and health benefits. This includes savings, cash back and discounts.
We welcome applicants whatever their personal characteristics or social identity. All requests for flexible working arrangements and reasonable adjustments will be considered.
The following candidates will be interviewed if they meet the essential criteria for the post they are applying for:
- Those who indicate that they have a disability. This is part of our commitment to the “Disability Confident” scheme;
- Those who indicate in their supported statement that they serve in the Armed Forces, whether Regular or Reserve, those who have served in the past, or their families. This is part of our pledge to support the Armed Forces Covenant;
- Those who indicate in their supporting statement that they are a Herefordshire care leaver. This is part of our commitment to supporting young people leaving our care.
Please refer to the Job Description and Person Specification for more details of this role.
To apply, please submit your CV and complete the supporting statement within the application form, referring to the job description & person specification, detailing how you meet the specific requirements of the role.