From the mid 1990’s onwards it became increasingly apparent that there would be radical reforms to the Common Agricultural Policy, and there would be a shift in the distribution of subsidies from traditional core farming business, to diversification and environmental schemes. The farming community then had to re-evaluate their positions, and needed assistance with regard to the direction they were being guided towards. It therefore became apparent that a network of support was needed to deliver these objectives.

Lancashire Rural Futures (formerly the Bowland Initiative) was established in January 1999 as one of two national pilots to test integrated delivery of economic and environmental facilitation services to rural areas principally based around farming communities.

The key objectives were;

A partnership management structure covering agencies, landowners and farmers within the area

Cross compliant linkages between business and the environment

Specialist facilitation team, tasked with the delivery of project targets

The Three Fishes, Mitton

Funding under the pilot was through a combination of sources with European 5b and MAFF providing the majority. Due to great demand delegated funding was quickly exhausted. Fortunately during the pilot period, mainstream funding for both business and environment increased substantially. The pilot was therefore able to maintain its delivery rate through access to mainstream sources. By the end of the pilot the project had directly assisted some individual businesses and a further 156 received advice.