Last updated 19:35, Thursday, 01 May 2008

FARMERS have until the end of June to apply for cash under Cumbria’s Catchment Sensitive Farming schemes.

Grants of up to £10,000 will be available for improvements on farms to reduce manure entering the waterways around Bassenthwaite, the River Eden and the Waver.

There are 40 schemes around the country competing for a pot of £5 million this year.

The success of four pilot schemes, including one at Bassenthwaite, prompted it to be launched nationally. The life of the project has been guaranteed until 2011.

Michael Graham is the officer for Bassenthwaite. He has sent out grant application packs to 30 farmers this year and is urging others to act quickly.

He said: “Putting the grant application in is fairly straight forward and will only take a couple of hours to fill in.

“But an application for work like putting a new roof on a slurry tank could take longer.”

Around 100 farmers will be eligible for grants in the Bassenthwaite catchment area, which covers Glendermackin, St John’s, Newlands Valley, Derwentwater, Bassenthwaite floodplains and Borrowdale.

Last year, there were applications from 15 farmers and four were successful.

Mr Graham added: “If we got 30 to 40 applications in, that would be excellent.

“Farmers would be expected to put some of the funding in themselves.”

Once an application pack has been sent out, an officer will visit the farmer before they make a full application.

For more information about grants in the three Cumbrian catchment areas, contact Michael, Emma Lyons or Richard MacDonald on 01768 891555.

The closing date is Monday, June 30.