The value of local Moor Associations became especially clear during the development of the Greater Sedgemoor Landscape Recovery project in 2025, when complex and important decisions needed to be addressed collectively. These associations provided a trusted forum in which landowners could discuss challenges openly and agree on appropriate ways forward as a group.
The farmer-led, collaborative landowner groups within the project area were established precisely to support this type of decision-making, particularly where collective action is required to manage flood-prone land effectively. They give landowners a strong voice and a sense of ownership over schemes that will influence land management for the next 20 years, enabling them to shape outcomes rather than have solutions imposed upon them.
For contentious issues such as water level management within a developing Landscape Recovery scheme, the Moor Associations allow members to guide critical decisions, define workable strategies, and recognise the limits of their influence at a very local scale. This locally-led approach ensures that solutions are grounded in place-based knowledge, rather than being mandated uniformly across the wider project area.
A meeting of the Greater Sedgemoor Landscape Recovery Project landowners in November 25
Photo and words by Bill Bradshaw, Farm Liaison Officer