Farmers to lead £5m nature recovery push across UK

Farmers and landowners across five protected UK landscapes are set to help lead major nature-recovery projects backed by more than £5 million in National Lottery funding.

The schemes will support peatland and wetland restoration, flood and water management, species recovery and farming practices intended to improve soils, habitats and wildlife.

A further £42.6 million could become available once the projects have completed their development work and moved towards delivery.

The National Lottery Heritage Fund has awarded initial grants to projects in Arnside and Silverdale, Mourne Gullion, Strangford and Lecale, the Shropshire Hills and Cornwall.

The development funding will support planning, consultation, surveys and project design over the next two years. Larger delivery awards will depend on the schemes progressing successfully.

The five projects form part of Landscape Connections, a £150 million programme designed to restore nature across working landscapes while improving public access and strengthening climate resilience.

Farmers, landowners, conservation groups and local communities will help shape the plans, which will tackle pressures including wildfires, habitat loss, pollution, fragmented ecosystems and increasingly extreme weather.

Arnside and Silverdale National Landscape has received more than £1 million in development funding to examine how habitats can be restored, access improved and growing visitor pressure managed, including the expected impact of Eden Project Morecambe Bay when it opens in 2028.

Mourne Gullion has been awarded £1.1 million for work with farmers, landowners and communities to tackle wildfires, pollution and competing pressures on land.

Strangford and Lecale has received more than £800,000 to develop plans for reconnecting habitats, improving water quality, supporting carbon storage and strengthening flood resilience.

Almost £1 million has been allocated to the Shropshire Hills, where farmers, young people and local communities will help set priorities for restoring habitats and managing land, soils and water over the long term.

Cornwall National Landscape will receive more than £1 million to develop plans covering Bodmin Moor, the Lizard, Hartland and the north Cornwall coast, with a focus on wetlands, connected habitats and the resilience of farmland, peatlands and coastal areas.

Peter Lefort, chair of the Cornwall National Landscape Partnership, said: “Together, we have the opportunity to restore nature at scale, support farms to thrive, reconnect people with the landscapes they love and create a lasting legacy for future generations.”

Across the five areas, potential delivery funding ranges from £8 million to £8.9 million per project.

The Heritage Fund said the investment was intended to keep landscapes productive while improving biodiversity and helping communities take a greater role in caring for them.

Eilish McGuinness, chief executive of the National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “Our landscapes are facing unprecedented challenges, from climate change to biodiversity loss, and meeting them requires action at scale and collaboration across boundaries.”

She said the programme would bring together farmers, landowners, communities and partners to develop long-term plans for nature recovery and resilience.

The latest awards follow more than £2.7 million already invested in Landscape Connections projects in the Solway Coast and Marine area, the North Pennines, and Loch Lomond and the Trossachs.

The wider programme is expected to support around 20 large-scale projects over ten years.