DELTA

Defence Estates Licensees and Tenants Association

Representing farmers renting land on the 
Salisbury Plain Training Area (SPTA) - the UK's principle military training area. 

Farming on the SPTA is a challenging business:
  • Military training, an ever more sophisticated process, takes priority.
  • Salisbury Plain is also home to the biggest chalkland Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in the world with flora and fauna which must be nurtured and protected.
  • A viable farming community is essential. The activity of farmers contributes to the very special environment, keeping the grass grazed prevents wildfires, farmers can articulate environmental initiatives and a "presence" on the land discourages unlawful activities such as hare coursing.


DELTA's activities:
  • Liaising with the Army and Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) over a wide range of matters from rent levels to permissions to undertake environmental schemes. This underpinned by two fixed meeting a year between representatives of DELTA, the Army and DIO.
  • Developing environmental schemes, providing education teach-ins, investigating routes to funding and cooperating on landscape scale schemes.
  • Representing individual Members' interests on any matter from a tank damaged fence to tackling tenancy inheritance.