THE director general of the National Trust has said that the organisation made the "right decision" when it voted to split up High Yewdale farm this week, reports Ruth Lythe.

Fiona Reynolds told The Westmorland Gazette that changes in farm payments meant that there was no other option but to split the Coniston farm, which was once owned by Beatrix Potter and visited by the Queen.

And she added that other Lake District hill farms battling to keep afloat in the face of the Common Agricultural Policy reforms could await a similar fate if they were to be vacated by their tenants.

The trust announced on Wednesday that High Yewdale Farm, near Coniston, would definitely be amalgamated with three other neighbouring farms.

The decision was made at a closed doors meeting of the trust's highest body, the board of trustees, and follows months of protest from those opposed to the move.

In an interview following the meeting Mrs Reynolds said that the figures to keep High Yewdale as a working farm simply did not stack up in the face of the farm payment reforms.

The reforms mean that farmers are now given subsidies in line with the area of land they farm rather in accordance to the number of stock.

This means that many livestock enterprises, like hill farms, are simply not profitable and most will make significant losses.

Mrs Reynolds said that while the trust had decided to re-let two other Lake District farms which had recently become vacant, it would be unviable to do so with High Yewdale.

This was partly because a large proportion of the farm consisted of open fell and moorland which would now receive lower subsidies.

"We collate a likely future income for each farm through diversification and through subsidies from government. But each farm is very different and we have to analyse every one individually."

Over the past months the plans to split the farm have attracted a storm of controversy from the local community who felt they had not been properly consulted about the move.

People also questioned why what was one of the area's most viable farms, which was once visited by the Queen, was to be split up.

Prince Charles personally intervened in the fray and a specially dedicated action group was formed from concerned farmers and experts who believed that the farm was viable.

But Mrs Reynolds said that she was "not surprised" by the amount of opposition to the plans and said the board's decision would benefit the neighbouring farms and the environment.

"I completely understand people's anxiety and the concerns I come from the north myself and there are hill farmers in my family. But this is a very difficult time for hill farming.

This is a decision that has not been lightly made," she said.

"We have listened very carefully to the concerns of the High Yewdale Farm Action Group and the concerns of other people but the decision we have made is the right one."

She said that she had discussed the future of High Yewdale Farm specifically with Prince Charles, as well as the future of hill farming in general and stressed the trust was "committed" to hill farmers.

But she added that the other farms in the Lake District, which became vacant, "may" share High Yewdale's fate.

"We will have to look at those (farms) one by one, it is very hard to generalise and plan ahead," she said.

Mrs Reynolds said she believed that Beatrix Potter would have agreed with the trust's decision, saying she had looked "carefully" at the writer's will and letters.

Chairwoman of the High Yewdale Action Group Professor Shelia Crispin greeted the decision with deep disappointment, claiming that with some form of diversification the farm would make a profit.

"Everyone is extremely sad that one of the premier farms in the Lake District is to be actively dismembered," she said.

NFU hill farming spokesman Will Cockbain called on the Government to increase the hill farmers' allowance to make upland hill farming more viable.