Government response
The government responded to the review on 8 January 2026.
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.
The document does not respond formally to the Uplands Review; the Secretary of State says Dr Hilary Cottam and Defra will begin a long-term partnership with upland communities in Dartmoor, then Cumbria.
- The stated aim is to develop a place-based approach for what these communities need, "co-designing solutions to specific problems".
- Governance is said to be "vital" if it is to reflect local challenges and opportunities in these areas.
- Together they "will look at" pooling public, private and third sector resources and laying foundations for new income streams. No dates are given for these.
- The document says the "most important thing" is that communities lead change from the ground up. It does not respond to the review's recommendations individually.
About this review
Summary written by this siteAn independent participatory review by Dr Hilary Cottam into what it would mean for England's uplands to flourish. Phase 1 sets out 19 insights and a proposal for a long-term collaboration between upland communities and government. Defra states the report's views are not Defra policy. The review makes no formal numbered recommendations.
Recommendations
No recommendations are indexed for this review yet. The report is linked above.
No recommendations have this response.