Hundreds of farmers and landowners will be supported to delivery
projects that restore nature, reduce flood risks and boost
biodiversity, as Environment Secretary announces the successful
bids for the Landscape
Recovery scheme.
Farmers working to recover coastal farmland in Norfolk, restore
meadows and streams in the Cotswolds and create a wildlife rich
nature corridor in the River Holme catchment are just three of
the 22 ambitious projects receiving funding through the new
scheme, implementing the Government’s post-Brexit Agricultural Transition
plans.
In February, farmers and land managers were invited to apply for
funding, and following a competitive application process,
Environment Secretary today (Friday 2 September)
confirmed the 22 selected projects.
All of the successful initiatives have demonstrated that they
have pioneering ideas that will improve the rural landscape and
reverse the decline in nature.
Collectively, the successful projects aim to restore nearly 700km
of rivers and protect and enhance 263 species such as water vole,
otter, pine marten, lapwing, great crested newt, European eel and
marsh fritillary.
As well as receiving Government funding, the selected projects
will also receive hands on support from Natural England and the
Environment Agency.
Environment Secretary said:
“There has been significant interest from farmers and land owners
in coming together on landscape scale projects to manage
environmental assets on their land. Today we are confirming
that we will support 22 collaborative projects in the first phase
of the Landscape Recovery Fund. The opening of this fund
complements the significant work already underway through
Countryside Stewardship and the Sustainable Farming Incentive to
support regenerative agriculture and promote soil health and
financial resilience for farms.”
The Landscape Recovery scheme is one of three new environmental
land management schemes introduced by the Government,
including the Sustainable Farming
Incentive, which supports action at farm level to make
agriculture more sustainable, and Local Nature Recovery,
which will support action at local level to make space for nature
alongside food production.
Each of the 22 projects covers an area of between 500 and 5,000
hectares. The majority involve groups of land managers and
farmers, including tenants, working together to deliver a range
of environmental benefits across farmed and rural landscapes.
Successful projects will now be awarded a share of around £12
million in development grants to help them finalise their
delivery plans. Defra aims to support them to complete their
development phase as soon as possible and start implementation on
the ground.
Landscape Recovery projects:
-
Adapting the Levels
-
Adur River Restoration project
-
The Axe Landscape Partnership
-
Breckland Farmers Wildlife Network Project
-
Boothby Wildland Project
-
Darent Valley
-
East Dartmoor
-
Eelscapes: restoring the Severn Vale’s wetland mosaics
-
The Enfield Chase Restoration Project
-
Greater Frampton Vision
-
Holnicote River Corridors
-
Killerton Three Rivers Landscape Recovery Project
-
Lake District Eastern Fells
-
Leven Carrs Wetland project
-
North Norfolk: Wilder, Wetter, Better for Nature
-
North East Cotswolds Farmer Cluster Project
-
The South Pennines Park – Nature’s Holme Landscape Recovery
-
Wareham Arc
-
WaLOR (Waveney and Little Ouse Headwaters) project
-
The Three Dales Project
-
Upper Duddon Landscape Recovery
-
Wigan Greenheart
