Protected landscape near Lancaster awarded £1m in lottery funding
Arnside and Silverdale are to benefit from investment to restore and connect the UK’s most treasured landscape.
The project will tackle some of the most pressing threats facing the UK’s protected landscapes from the impacts of climate change at scale, including wildfires and habitat loss, while supporting nature recovery by restoring habitats, improving biodiversity and connecting people and communities to our unique natural heritage.
The National Lottery Heritage Fund’s Landscape Connections initiative aims to support those who care for these places to put landscapes into recovery, supporting habitats and species alongside rich cultural heritage in better connected, working landscapes, while removing barriers to access so everyone feels able to connect with nature and the environment.
Arnside & Silverdale National Landscape will receive more than £1m in development funding.
The funds for this new partnership project have been awarded to Morecambe Bay Partnership charity, working closely with the Arnside & Silverdale National Landscape Partnership, National Trust, RSPB, local wildlife organisations and communities.
Thanks to National Lottery players, the Heritage Fund has awarded more than £5m in development funding across five projects, with the potential for a further £42.6m in delivery grants to follow as plans are developed and tested over the next two years.
From restoring habitats to improving access to nature, supporting community stewardship and building resilience to climate change, the five projects represent the latest step in strengthening nature, heritage and communities across some of the UK’s most significant landscapes.
Across the five projects, that means peatland restoration, water and flood management, coastal resilience, species recovery and farmer-led, nature-positive land management, alongside empowering communities, improving access to nature and supporting more people to take an active role in caring for their local landscapes.
Arnside & Silverdale National Landscape is internationally recognised for its rich habitats and wildlife but faces growing pressures from climate change, habitat loss and increasing visitor demand.
With more than £1m in development funding awarded to a consortium of partners within the area and the potential for a further £8m in delivery funding, the project will investigate how best to restore nature, improve access and help ensure the landscape remains resilient and welcoming to all.
The project will bring together communities, landowners and organisations to develop a long-term plan for nature recovery and sustainable tourism across the landscape.
By improving access, reconnecting habitats and managing growing visitor pressures, it will help ensure that increasing interest in the area benefits both wildlife and local communities for generations to come.
Helen Featherstone, Director, England North, The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “Our landscapes are facing unprecedented challenges, from climate change to biodiversity loss, and meeting them requires people to work together across boundaries.
“It’s thanks to National Lottery players that through our Landscape Connections initiative, the Heritage Fund’s helping foster new collaborations, bringing together landowners, farmers, communities and partners to restore nature and build resilience across some of the UK’s most treasured places.
“The landscapes, habitats and natural environments we value are an important part of our shared heritage. Arnside and Silverdale Landscape Connections demonstrates the ambition, innovation and partnership needed to secure the future of our landscapes.
“This development funding will help turn ideas into action, laying the foundations for long-term change that benefits both nature and people.”
Sarah Mason, CEO, Morecambe Bay Partnership charity, said: “With generous support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund our coalition of organisations will gather robust evidence of need and create a shared vision for the project with our community.
“We’ll identify barriers to inclusive access to the National Landscape, develop training programmes in nature recovery and carry out ecological surveys and feasibility studies.
Jarrod Sneyd, senior site manager, RSPB Leighton Moss & Morecambe Bay Reserves, said: “The landscape needs to be bigger, better and more connected for people and wildlife, working in collaboration – conservation bodies, landowners, farmers, business and the wider community.
“This project is a massive and critical step towards bringing about transformational, landscape-scale change. Amazing!”
This content is sourced from www.lancasterguardian.co.uk and is shared for informational purposes only.
