Farmers in and around Taunton are being invited to bid in Somerset’s biggest ever auction for works to reduce flooding, boost agriculture and improve the environment.
The auction will run online from Monday 1 March to Monday 15 March and is being organised by the Farming & Wildlife Advisory Group SouthWest (FWAG SW) for Somerset Rivers Authority (SRA) and Bristol Water.
Cllr David Hall, Chair of Somerset Rivers Authority, has told Tone News:
This will be our fourth online auction and this year farmers are being offered a choice of up to 12 different measures, more than ever before.
The aim is to help slow the flow of water down to vulnerable areas while delivering other benefits. Moves like grassland slitting and subsoiling, for example, don’t just aerate the ground and let more rain filter in, they also improve the soil.
So farmers are being asked to think about win-wins. If there are simple things that can be done that benefit everyone, grants may be available.
Total funding available this year is £60,000, the biggest sum yet, with £40,000 coming from the SRA, and £20,000 from Bristol Water.
For more information about the bidding, you need to visit the Somerset Nature Bid website.
