A £2M fund to help Dales farmers affected by flooding opens for applications today.

Through the Farming Recovery Fund, farmers in parts of North Yorkshire who have suffered uninsurable damage to their property can now apply for grants between £500 and £25,000 to cover certain repair costs.

It comes after the Government confirmed up to £5.25 million to support wider recovery work in the area, including the repair of roads and bridges.

Grants under the Farming Recovery Fund are available for a range of farm restoration work, including rebuilding dry stone walls, re-cultivating productive land and replacing damaged field gates.

Farmers will have until 31 March 2020 to submit an application for funding.

Richmond MP Rishi Sunak welcomed the move, which he lobbied for to help farmers in Swaledale, Arkengarthdale and parts of Wensleydale.

The Conservative MP said: “The rain at the end of July wreaked havoc on Dales farmland. Miles of dry stone wall were damaged and in some cases entirely swept away. These walls are not just important to farmers, they are also an intrinsic part of the Dales landscape."

To apply for the funding, farmers must submit an application to the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) which explains how their business has been impacted and provides the relevant evidence to show any damage caused by the flooding. For applications covering damage where the applicant has already paid for repairs, farmers should provide copies of any receipts and quotes to help the RPA process them as quickly as possible.