Tag: Environment Agency

The press release issued by the Environment Agency on 20 April 2023.

Natural England and Environment Agency see justice delivered for nature as landowner sentenced for destruction of part of the River Lugg in Herefordshire.

• Natural England and the Environment Agency welcome the sentencing of John Price for the destruction of 1.5km of the protected River Lugg in 2020
• Habitats of otters, kingfishers, trout and salmon were among those destroyed
• The damage is the worst case of riverside destruction seen by the organisations and could take several decades to be fully restored
• This is the first prosecution under Farming Rules for Water

Natural England and the Environment Agency have today welcomed the seriousness with which the Court has treated the severe and lasting damage to the River Lugg, which destroyed habitats and wildlife on a stretch of one of the country’s most unspoiled rivers.

John Price appeared today at Kidderminster Magistrates Court where he was sentenced to 12 months in prison. He was also ordered to pay prosecution costs of £600,000 and disqualified from being a director of a limited company for three years. In addition, a Restoration Order under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 was imposed requiring Mr Price to carry out a number of actions to restore the river.

The sentence is the result of legal action launched last year by Natural England and the Environment Agency following a joint in-depth investigation into environmental harm caused by the work in 2020 and 2021.

The press release issued by the Environment Agency on 17 April 2023.

The Lower Otter Restoration Project has planted over 23,000 native trees.

• Over 2 hectares of broadleaf woodland will transform a former landfill
• The Queen’s Green Canopy initiative saw 225 trees planted on site

The Lower Otter Restoration Project (LORP) in Budleigh Salterton, Devon, is celebrating another key step ahead of its completion later this year, with over 23,000 saplings now planted across the site as part of the work.

Of these trees, 225 were planted as part of the Queen’s Green Canopy scheme, which was launched last year to leave a legacy for the late Queen Elizabeth II.

A significant proportion of this planting is located on the former domestic tip site, which has been raised to enable it to be reclaimed by nature and become a pleasant green space for the community and visitors.

Earlier this month, Simon Jupp, MP for East Devon, joined Andrea Ayres, Operations Manager at the Environment Agency, to plant a tree on the tip site, view the project’s progress, and celebrate World Planting Day.

Species planted include a mix of canopy species trees and understory shrubs and small trees such as field maple; silver and downy birch; crack, grey, goat and white willow; guelder and dog rose; crab apple; wild cherry; hawthorn; blackthorn; hornbeam, and pedunculate and sessile oak.

New hedgerows have also been planted, and other existing hedgerows have been thickened and improved. This helps improve connectivity through the landscape for wildlife such as dormice and birds that rely on them for refuge, and bats that use them to navigate.

Trees and hedgerows provide many benefits: they create vital habitat for small mammals, birds and insects; increase local biodiversity; ‘lock-in’ carbon, and contribute to improving human health and wellbeing, especially where they are associated with recreational access.

LORP’s extensive planting scheme continues to create more woodland and offsets the removal of some mature trees earlier in the project.

Vegetation was initially cleared to provide the open estuarine habitat necessary to attract waders and other key bird species (wading birds need far-reaching views to enable them to be able to feed without being predated). Vegetation has also now effectively been relocated to areas around the site where it will not be adversely affected by saltwater re-entering the historic floodplain or snag debris.

Dan Boswell of the Environment Agency said:

This is another big step forward for the project and our efforts to restore the Lower Otter Valley to a more natural state. The planting addresses some of the ecological and environmental challenges we have in the area and will play an important role in enhancing local biodiversity and visitor’s experiences.

It is early days, but the Lower Otter Restoration Project is already having clear positive effects on the valley’s ability to attract more and more varied birdlife, and as these saplings grow and the newly restored wetlands develop, this will greatly increase.

The Lower Otter Restoration Project is an intertidal habitat restoration project delivered by the Environment Agency in partnership with the East Devon Pebblebed Heaths Conservation Trust and Clinton Devon Estates. It is part of a cross-border initiative called ‘Promoting Adaptation to Changing Coasts’ (PACCo) and is delivering climate change adaptation by working with nature to provide benefits for people and the environment.

Work includes a 70-metre breach in embankments to reconnect the Otter Estuary to its historic floodplain; restoring 55 hectares of wetland habitat; the construction of a 30-metre span flood resilient, raised road and road bridge, as well as a new footbridge over the location of the future breach to ensure continuity of the South West Coast Path; the relocation of Budleigh Salterton Cricket Club away from the floodplain; raising and improving public footpaths, and creating wildlife viewing areas.

To find out more about the Lower Otter Restoration Project, visit: www.lowerotterrestorationproject.co.uk.

For more information on the PACCo initiative, visit: www.pacco-interreg.com.

The press release issued by the Environment Agency on 13 April 2023.

A father and son who ran a waste business at their then home in Sticker, Cornwall appeared in court on Tuesday.

Michael Joseph Richards, 59, now living at Menorca Lane, Bugle and his son, also called Michael, aged 31 now of Ocean Rise, Scredda pleaded guilty at Bodmin Magistrates’ Court. Richards Junior, who admitted three offences, was ordered to pay fines, costs and a victim surcharge totalling £4,443. In the case of Richards Senior, magistrates decided that the offences, together with a similar previous conviction, was too serious for a fine and ordered a pre-sentence report to be prepared. He will now be sentenced on 18 May.

Magistrates noted that reoffending was unlikely as the land has since been sold.

In a case brought by the Environment Agency both men admitted offences relating to running a waste site at their former home at The Paddocks, St Stephen’s Road, Sticker, without a permit. In addition, Richards Junior was also charged with transferring waste without a written description and with not being registered to carry controlled waste.

The court heard that in September 2020 the Environment Agency was informed that waste was being taken to the site and burned. A month later the fire service was called to a fire at the site where they found building and household waste including plasterboard, timber, cement bags, rigid insulation, electrical appliances, furniture and plastic household objects. Surrounding the fire was more waste debris including radiators, fridges and a caravan. The fire was close to a gas tank and the main A390 road which meant there was the potential for causing a smoke hazard.

Environment officer Stephen Clark went to the site soon after where he found more household waste, car tyres and a caravan full of building waste. Richards Junior was served a notice to provide waste transfer notes within a week, but he did not respond. At a later meeting at the site with Richards Junior he agreed to remove the waste and admitted that he had taken much of it there when he was not registered to do so.

Richards Junior failed to comply with a notice to remove the waste and by June 2021 it was still there, with more waste having been taken to the site.

Following the hearing, Stephen Clark from the Environment Agency said: “This was both an environmental and fire hazard as well as being a blight on the village, added to which, such illegal waste activities undermine the work of legitimate businesses in the sector.”

Notes to editors

Michael Richards Senior pleaded guilty to two charges:

Between 21 September 2020 and 25 June 2021, permitted the carrying on of a waste operation, on land known as The Paddocks, St Stephens Road, Sticker, St Austell in respect of which no environmental permit was in force.

Contrary to regulations 38(1)(b) and 12(1)(b) of the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016

Between the 21 September 2020 and 25 June 2021, deposited, or knowingly caused or knowingly permitted the deposit of controlled waste including mixed building and household waste on land, namely The Paddocks, St Stephens Road, Sticker, St Austell, in respect of which no environmental permit was in force.

Contrary to section 33(1)(a) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

Michael Richards Junior pleaded guilty to three charges:

Between the 21 September 2020 and 25 June 2021, deposited, or knowingly caused or knowingly permitted the deposit of controlled waste including mixed building and household waste on land, namely The Paddocks, St Stephens Road, Sticker, St Austell, in respect of which no environmental permit was in force.

Contrary to section 33(1)(a) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

On dates unknown between 21 September 2020 and 25 June 2021, when transferring waste, including mixed building and household waste, between places unknown and to The Paddocks, St Stephens Road, Sticker, St Austell, failed to secure that there was transferred such a written description of the waste as would enable other persons to avoid a contravention of Section 33 Environmental Protection Act 1990.

Contrary to Section 34(1)(c) and 34(6) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990

On dates unknown between 21 September 2020 and 25 June 2021 being a person who is not a registered carrier of controlled waste, did in the course of your business or otherwise with a view to profit, transport controlled waste, namely mixed building and household waste to The Paddocks, St Stephens Road, Sticker, St Austell, being a place in Great Britain.

Contrary to section 1(1) of the Control of Pollution (Amendment) Act 1989.

The press release issued by the Environment Agency on 29 March 2023.

Shropshire Wildlife Trust receives £100,000 for nature-based watercourse protection and water quality enhancement projects after company’s permit breach.

Shropshire Wildlife Trust has received a financial boost after the Environment Agency accepted an enforcement undertaking (EU) offer from Müller UK & Ireland Group LLP.

The payment is part of an EU offered by the company for its failure in effluent discharge to the River Tern at the Müller Dairy facility in Market Drayton, Shropshire, in January 2018.

Müller UK & Ireland Group LLP is the largest yoghurt producer in the UK. The EU occurred as a result of 3 charges of failing to comply with permit conditions, under regulation 38(2) Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016, when an inlet screen was bypassed during maintenance works. Large pieces of fruit passed into the effluent treatment plant, leading to high levels of ammonia in the treated effluent discharged into the River Tern. The effluent contained in excess of the permitted level of ammoniacal nitrogen for a period of 15 days in January 2018.

Müller has since complied with the regulations and invested £2 million in improvements to environmental working practices and has made a contribution of £100,000 to Shropshire Wildlife Trust.

Shropshire Wildlife Trust works to restore lost habitats, helps declining species, and inspires future generations to care for nature in Shropshire. The donation will contribute towards the delivery of watercourse protection and water enhancement projects on the River Tern.

Sarah Dennis, a senior specialist for the Environment Agency, said:

Enforcement undertakings allow polluters to positively address and restore the harm caused to the environment and prevent repeat incidents.

The Environment Agency is increasingly using this method of enforcement for suitable cases to restore the environment, improve practices of the offending company, and avoid longer criminal court cases. However, we will prosecute in appropriate cases.

As well as donations totalling £100,000 to Shropshire Wildlife Trust that will bring great benefits to the environment, Müller UK & Ireland Group LLP has made significant improvements to its effluent-treatment plants and staff training.

Please report any environmental issues to the Environment Agency’s 24-hour incident hotline on 0800 80 70 60.

Pete Lambert, head of land and water at Shropshire Wildlife Trust, said:

Müller’s donation will support the land and water team who manage and improve the health of our county’s water by surveying aquatic species, running events and working with different partners to address flooding issues across the county.

The funds will support the delivery of vital watercourse-protection and water quality enhancement projects using nature-based solutions including fencing and tertiary water-treatment along a small tributary of the River Tern in north Shropshire.

The company has also paid the Environment Agency’s administration, investigation and legal costs.

Background

The regulations the companies did not meet:

In 2018: Regulation 38(2) – Failing to comply with a permit condition: Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016.

What is an enforcement undertaking?

An enforcement undertaking is available to the Environment Agency as an alternative sanction to prosecution or monetary penalty for dealing with certain environmental offences. It is a legally-binding voluntary agreement proposed by a business or an individual when the EA has reasonable grounds to suspect that an environmental offence has occurred.

Enforcement undertakings for environmental offences were introduced under the Environmental Civil Sanctions (England) Order 2010 and the Environmental Civil Sanctions (Miscellaneous Amendments) (England) Regulations 2010.

Accepting an enforcement undertaking is always at the discretion of the Environment Agency, but if accepted, enables firms and individuals who have damaged the environment or operated outside of legislative requirements to offer to complete actions which will address the cause and effect of their offending, including making a payment to an appropriate environmental project.

EUs can be offered for offences including polluting rivers, breaching permit conditions designed to protect communities, or failing to register and comply with recycling/recovery obligations. The Environment Agency then carefully considers whether the actions offered by the offender are acceptable.

Why use enforcement undertakings?

• Businesses will voluntarily secure compliance now and in the future, without attracting a criminal record.
• The environment, local community and those directly impacted by the offending can benefit through actions being offered in an EU.
• They allow the EA to deal with the less intentional and polluting offending in a more proportionate way than prosecution through the criminal courts.

The Environment Agency reserves the right to prosecute where offenders fail to comply with the terms of an enforcement undertaking offer.

About Shropshire Wildlife Trust

Shropshire Wildlife Trust has a vision of a thriving natural world, where Shropshire’s wildlife and natural habitats play a valued role in addressing the climate and ecological emergencies, and people are inspired and empowered to take action for nature. It combine projects across Shropshire, including Telford & Wrekin, with advocacy and campaigning to restore nature and to engage people.

SWT manages more than 40 nature reserves and has almost 50 staff, 300 volunteers, and more than 9,000 members. SWT is an autonomous charity, but it is increasingly working collectively, as part of The Wildlife Trusts to ensure that local actions have a national impact and help to address global issues.

www.shropshirewildlifetrust.org.uk

The press release issued by the Environment Agency on 28 March 2023.

Environment Agency issues three new environmental permits to NNB Generation Company (Sizewell C) Limited for a new nuclear power station at Sizewell in Suffolk

The Environment Agency has issued three new environmental permits today to NNB Generation Company (Sizewell C) Limited for a new nuclear power station at Sizewell in Suffolk. The permits are required for the station to operate and will allow it to:

• dispose of and discharge radioactive waste (radioactive substances activity permit)
• operate standby power supply systems using diesel generators (combustion activity permit)
• discharge returned abstracted seawater (from the cooling water system and 2 fish recovery and returns systems) and other liquid trade effluents (including treated sewage effluent) to the Greater Sizewell Bay – North Sea (water discharge activity permit)

NNB Generation Company (Sizewell C) Limited applied to the Environment Agency for three environmental permits in May 2020. The Environment Agency consulted on the application from July to October 2020 and on their proposed decision and draft permits from July to September 2022.

Each of the three permits is an important regulatory permission that the company requires to operate Sizewell C nuclear power station. They include the limits and conditions that the company needs to put in place to ensure high standards of environmental protection during commissioning, operation and decommissioning.

The company will need to continue to apply for a range of environmental permits relating to site investigation, construction works and for relevant “associated developments” such as workers’ accommodation.

The Environment Agency’s Sizewell C Project Manager, Simon Barlow, said:

Today’s decision to issue the three permits for these operational activities comes after 10 years of pre-application discussions, three years of technical assessments and two public consultations. In reaching this decision we carefully considered all the responses from a wide range of stakeholders in the local community, national organisations and statutory consultees.

I would like to thank everyone for contributing their evidence and views and attending our consultation events. We will continue our engagement with the local community as the company moves forward with its plans for construction of the nuclear power station.

The documents we are publishing today provide detailed explanations of our decisions, show how we have considered all the relevant factors and explain our reasoning. By granting these permits many years ahead of Sizewell C operating, we can positively influence the design, procurement, and commissioning of the power station, whilst also ensuring that people and the environment are protected.

The decision documents, a public summary and permits are available on the Environment Agency’s website.

If you would like to sign up for Environment Agency e-bulletins about the work and regulation of the Sizewell C project, contact nuclear@environment-agency.gov.uk

The press release issued by the Environment Agency on 21 March 2023.

The Environment Agency is installing £1million of Property Flood Resilience (PFR) measures to over 100 homes and businesses in York which are at risk of flooding.

York has been affected by flooding for many decades, with severe floods in 2000 and more recently in 2015 when over 620 homes and businesses were flooded.

Homes in and around York, including the villages of Naburn and Acaster Malbis, have been impacted significantly by flood water coming through doorways and airbricks causing significant damage to property and furniture.

The £1 million scheme will install measures such as flood barriers, non-return valves, self-closing air bricks and pumps which help to reduce the risk of water entering people’s homes during a flood. The installation of these products will run until December with funding provided from the Environment Agency.

Environment Agency Area Flood Risk Manager Paul Stockhill said:

With our changing climate we are unable to eliminate the risk of flooding, but we can help communities be more resilient to it. We often build large scale defences to try and manage flood water, but sometimes property level measures might be appropriate. We hope that these measures will help to give these residents in York reassurance, helping ensure a flood does less damage and life can get back to normal much quicker.

This investment is part of the £45 million Environment Agency programme to improve flood defences in York.  Together with a further £38 million invested to improve the Foss Barrier, our work will better protect over 2,000 properties across the city.

Stanley Shoobridge, a resident in Acaster Malbis, York who is benefiting from the scheme, said:

I’m very pleased with my new defences, and how easy they are to fit. In the past I’ve had to drag sandbags into position to try and protect my home. I don’t flood frequently, but when I do, I’m on an island and only people with waders can reach me. I’m 92 years of age and it’s now so much easier to put my new barrier into place.

I live in an 18th century cottage and underground seepage is also a problem.  I’ve now been given pumps to take care of that, and four automatic air grates have been fitted, so I no longer have to worry about covering them up.

Cllr Paula Widdowson, Executive Member for Climate Change and the Environment, from City of York Council, said:

Protecting peoples’ homes and businesses is an absolute priority, particularly as flood events become ever more frequent. This significant extra investment will help us better protect residents in and around the villages of Naburn and Acaster Malbis and build on the work already being carried out across the city.

More than 2,000 properties are now better protected in York from future flooding with thanks to the £110 million flood alleviation programme, which is being delivered by City of York Council and the Environment Agency. Through this programme, we’re implementing vital flood alleviation schemes across the city to further reduce the impact of flooding and climate change on our communities.

The press release issued by the Environment Agency on 21 March 2023.

Residents of Middlesbrough are being encouraged to explore what item they would save during a flood as part of an interactive play.

Residents and visitors to Middlesbrough are being encouraged to explore the backstories of sentimental items which have been washed away during a flood as part of a free, interactive performance.

Created by North East production company, Theatre Space and commissioned by the Environment Agency, ‘Washed Away’ invites the audience to choose an item and experience the joy, the sadness and the difference behind each irreplaceable possession lost and damaged by flood water.

Presented on the high street in Middlesbrough, the play mixes live performance with a vital message. The show will be held over the weekend of the 25th and 26th March with each part of the storytelling able to be experienced as a stand-alone piece or as a unique narrative.

Audience members can pick three of the eight different sentimental items during each performance. These could be anything from photo albums to soft toys or jewellery. Items can be picked at random at the start of each play, giving a different show each time, depending on what gets fished out of the waters. The play will also run two times each day, giving attendees the best chance to come and join in, completely free of charge.

‘Washed Away’ Aims not only to entertain but also deliver a potentially life-saving message about the risk of flooding. According to analysis produced by the Environment Agency, at least one in six people in England are at risk from flooding from rivers and the sea, with many more at risk from surface water flooding.

However, nearly two in three households at risk of flooding don’t believe it will happen to them.  And despite the research showing that almost two thirds of people (60%) have taken at least one action to prepare for flooding, as many as 1.5 million households, who are at risk, are yet to prepare.

Alex Scaife, Flood Resilience Engagement Advisor at the Environment Agency, said:

“It’s incredibly exciting to be working with Theatre Space to bring ‘Washed Away’ to the people of Middlesbrough. This ambitious production aims to challenge the audience and asks some important questions on how they would respond if a flood was forecast.

“We know how devastating flooding can be – the loss of your home, the financial stress, and the destruction of irreplaceable, sentimental belongings all place unbelievable strain on those affected. That is why it is vital that people take the necessary preparations as early as possible should the worst happen.

“I hope that as well as an exhilarating theatrical event, ‘Washed Away’ will get people reflecting and debating on the steps they can take to Prepare, Act and Survive.”

Corinne Kilvington, Theatre Space Artistic Director, said:

“We’re so excited to create a fun, engaging and interactive performance to help people think about the impact of flooding. It’s so easy to think ‘it’ll never happen to me’ but that dialogue has to change, because it’s a lot more of a possibility than we’d care to think.

“The team think it’s incredibly brave of the Environment Agency to try and tackle the subject in this way instead of relying on the usual channels and we are honoured to be creating the piece which will start conversations, challenge perceptions and above all entertain the audience.”

Audiences will be able to see the stories they didn’t catch live on the Theatre Space website after the performance at Theatre Space – Any Space Is A Theatre Space

People in flood risk areas should know what to do in a flood and they are encouraged to download the Environment Agency’s ‘Prepare. Act. Survive.’ flood plan to help reduce their risk.

The press release issued by the Environment Agency on 17 March 2023.

The Environment Agency has launched a new flood warning service this week for eight areas across Yorkshire – which will warn residents of any imminent risk of flooding.

The new flood warnings cover 2,557 properties and will see a warning message issued when flooding is forecast and then again to warn users if impacts are likely.

Residents can register for the new service for free and choose to receive notifications via phone call or text.

The warnings tell people about the risk of flooding to their home or business and helps people make informed decisions about how to respond. There are three types of warning – Flood Alert, Flood Warning and Severe Flood Warning.

Householders are encouraged to prepare if they receive a Flood Alert which could mean packing a bag that includes medicines, insurance documents and anything else they wouldn’t want to lose if flooding were to take place. A Flood Warning calls on people to act now which means turning off gas, water and electricity and moving family and pets to safety. A Severe Flood Warning means you are in immediate danger and to follow advice from emergency services.

The update to the Yorkshire service comes as 110,000 additional homes and businesses across the country are now eligible to receive the new flood warnings following a major effort to ensure all properties at high risk of flooding can receive them. Many properties previously considered too remote, rural, or difficult to warn of flooding, are now able to take advantage of the service. This significant improvement has been made possible using new technologies developed by the Environment Agency.

Graham Lindsey, flood resilience team leader at the Environment Agency said:

We know the devastating impact that flooding can have, which is why protecting people and communities is our top priority.

These warnings are there to help people prepare for, and become more resilient to, flooding incidents and this new service will allow people to take appropriate action when flooding is forecast. We would encourage all of those in these new flood warning areas to sign up for our free warnings this winter for both their safety and peace of mind.

The new flood warning areas have been added as a result of modelling and new data which is part of the Environment Agency’s constant drive to continually improve the flood warning service.

The new flood warnings areas are:

• Oil Mill Beck at Horsforth Woodside
• Communities along Black Brook from Bowers Mill to Berry Mill Lane, Calderdale
• Bradford Beck and tributaries at Bradford
• Hunsworth Beck at Oakenshaw
• Went Beck at Purston Jaglin, Wakefield
• River Esk at Ruswarp
• River Esk at Glaisdale
• River Esk at Danby

There are over 1.6 million users registered to receive flood warnings at the touch of a button. These flood warnings are generated from river level data which is collected via an extensive monitoring network across England. The data is combined with weather forecasts, river models and other information to produce location specific flood forecasts.

The press release issued by the Environment Agency on 16 March 2023.

Philip Duffy has been appointed as the new Chief Executive of the Environment Agency (EA) and will start in the role on 1 July.

Philip has had a long career in the civil service and joins from HM Treasury where he was Director-General of Growth and Productivity, leading work on the environment, transport, productivity, business support and culture. In this role he oversaw the Treasury’s work on spending and policies to create sustainable growth across the UK.

As Chief Executive, Philip will lead the EA’s work in tackling some of the biggest challenges facing the environment, from climate change and extreme weather events through to improving the health of England’s waters for the benefit of people and wildlife.

The appointment follows a competitive recruitment round.

Commenting on his appointment, Philip Duffy said:

“I am delighted to be taking on leadership of the Environment Agency. The Agency’s mission – to protect and enhance the environment and support sustainable development – has never been more critical. ­

“The Agency can be proud of its record. And as it approaches its 30th anniversary, I look forward to hearing from all sides about what should come next, and what more the Agency could do to make this the first generation to leave the environment in a better state than it inherited.”

Chair of the Environment Agency, Alan Lovell, said:

“We’re very excited to have Philip joining the Environment Agency. As climate change and population growth increase the pressures on England’s precious resources, we have a vital role delivering for people, nature and the economy. Philip brings considerable experience from the Treasury and will head up a truly excellent Executive team.

“The Board and I are grateful to James Bevan for his leadership over the last seven years and look forward to building on strong foundations to help the Environment Agency deliver even more in the years to come.”

Environment Secretary Thérèse Coffey said:

“I want to thank Sir James for his service as Chief Executive of the Environment Agency over the last seven years.

“I congratulate Philip on his appointment and look forward to working with him as we continue to deliver on our shared national endeavour to improve the environment.”

Sir James Bevan will step down as Chief Executive on 31 March 2023 as planned, after over seven years in post. EA Executive Director for Local Operations John Curtin will be Chief Executive until Philip Duffy starts in the role on 1 July.

The press release issued by the Environment Agency on 11 February 2023.

Six projects will receive funding to research how nature-rich woodlands, grasslands, wetlands and urban habitats take up carbon.

Six pioneering nature projects across England receive major funding award to trial the most effective ways to capture carbon and mitigate the impacts of climate change, Natural England has announced today (11 February).

Operating at a landscape scale of over 500 hectares each, the six projects will restore landscapes across England – from Plymouth to Northumberland – and assess how carbon is captured and stored across different habitats such as grasslands, forests, wetlands and hedgerows.

The £4.3 million of funding will support:

• Wild Exmoor Carbon Sequestration Project: The National Trust has been awarded almost £1 million to deliver targeted nature-based solutions and carbon capture across its 670-hectare Watersmeet estate. The charity will create a wetter and wilder landscape by restoring and protecting coastal woodland, heathland habitats, species rich grassland and wood pasture.
• Wansbeck Restoration for Climate Change (WRCC): Almost £600,000 has been awarded to the project managed by Groundwork NE & Cumbria which will assess how nature-based solutions can thrive in a farmed landscape. The project will restore mixed habitats – grasslands, peaty pockets and woodlands – and demonstrate how landowners can work together to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote carbon sequestration. Working across 10 sites, the work will restore over 144 hectares and will contribute to the wider restoration of the River Wansbeck catchment in Northumberland.
• Plymouth’s Natural Grid Nature Based Solutions for Climate Change at the Landscape Scale project: Approximately £1 million will support Plymouth City Council, working in collaboration with the National Trust, to restore natural habitats and create local solutions to climate change in the urban environment through wood pasture, species rich grassland and woodland creation, salt marsh restoration and floodplain mosaic habitat creation.
• Derwent Forest Landscape Recovery Project, part of the Derwent Connections Programme: Derbyshire Wildlife Trust has been awarded £645,000 for its Derwent Forest Landscape Recovery partnership-led pilot project. This project aims to create connected woody habitats between the Northern and National Forests to allow movement of species in response to climate change. It will also develop an economically viable programme to support landowners to create and expand dynamic and resilient ecosystems.
• The Oxfordshire–Buckinghamshire Freshwater Network: This programme, run by the Freshwater Habitats Trust, has been awarded over £780,000 to focus on the role played by smaller, peat-dominated wetlands, floodplains, wet grasslands and waters in sequestering carbon in the landscape. These habitats are of exceptional importance for freshwater biodiversity, which is in rapid decline. The project will help to better understand the role that these habitats can play in carbon sequestration. It will also help Freshwater Habitats Trust build the Freshwater Network – a national network of wilder, wetter, cleaner and connected freshwaters.
• Severn Solutions for Nature’s Recovery (SSNR): Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust has been awarded over £417,000 to work with Hasfield Court Estate to restore a 500-hectare estate in the Severn Vale. The partnership’s vision is to demonstrate and provide evidence of how the restoration of native habitats can provide nature-based solutions that help adapt to climate change and tackle the ecological emergency. Following a baseline survey of the estate, options have been tailored to maximise landscape connectivity between existing priority habitats, and will involve the creation of wood pasture, traditional orchards and species rich grassland. These actions will create habitats for important pollinator species, nesting opportunities for farmland birds and foraging networks for protected bat species.

Tony Juniper, Chair of Natural England said:

Many of the solutions to climate change are all around us in the natural world. From trees, hedges and grasslands that absorb carbon from the air to the peat-rich soils that hold it in the ground, there are huge opportunities to catch carbon while achieving other benefits at the same time, including increasing our ability to adapt to climate change impacts. The simple fact is that when it comes to our net zero ambitions Nature is our biggest ally and more we can do to restore it the better.

Getting the scale of benefits we need requires working together collaboratively across entire landscapes. This is only going to be possible if we forge broad partnerships and this is increasingly the case as different sectors see that they are all part of the solution to the climate and Nature challenges that the world and this country are setting out to meet”.

Alan Lovell, Chair of the Environment Agency, said:

In the face of increasing climate extremes, using nature-based solutions that restore and work with natural processes is a powerful tool that can help protect us from the devastating impact of drought, floods and wildfires.

The collective ambition to restore nature at a landscape scale, alongside the right financial incentives, will create a more resilient approach which is needed to address the urgent challenges of nature loss and climate change”.

Richard Stanford, Chief Executive at the Forestry Commission, said:

Resilient forests, woods and trees are vital for capturing carbon in the fight against climate change and improving biodiversity to aid nature recovery.

We are working with project partners on the creation and management of woodlands across these landscapes to help treble tree planting to 7,500 hectares per year by the end of this parliament with a goal of reaching 16.5% tree cover by 2050.

Through this programme we will gain new insights into the factors that affect how trees capture carbon, over the short and long term, in a variety of different habitats and sites. This will build on the excellent work by Forest Research and other organisations on the subject”.

Ed Ikin, Director of Wakehurst, Kew’s wild botanic garden said:

We at Kew are delighted to be part of this transformative landscape research investment.

We hope our innovative research at Wakehurst will provide vital and valuable data for both the government and our new partner sites, offering essential scientific evidence for the ability of biodiverse landscapes to sequester carbon above and belowground to benefit people and the economy.

Nature-based solutions – which tackle societal challenges in ways that benefit both people and nature – can remove CO2 from the atmosphere and halt emissions from degraded natural sites and agricultural land. Testing the effectiveness of different landscapes in acting as carbon sinks will be crucial in meeting the UK’s climate goals.

Analysis and information from the pilot sites will be used to better inform habitat creation and contribute to tackling climate change.  Each project will also look how best to blend public and private sources of funding to support further delivery of their landscape-scale plans for improving the natural environment.

Nature Based Solutions for Climate Change at the Landscape Scale is a partnership led by Natural England with the Environment Agency, the Forestry Commission and Royal Botanic Gardens Kew at Wakehurst, Kew’s wild botanic garden in Sussex. It demonstrates the power of collaborative working to understand the value of nature-based solutions in tackling climate change and will deliver against the government’s Environmental Improvement Plan.

The organisations will work alongside project partners to expand scientific evidence on greenhouse gas emissions, create sustainable funding opportunities for landscape scale projects, and provide additional data to inform the development of robust carbon standards, such as the Woodland Carbon Code and the Peatland Code.

The Nature Based Solutions for Climate Change Programme is a £12.5 million programme first established in 2021 which is funded by the Treasury’s Shared Outcomes Fund, and cosponsored by Defra and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. The fund seeks to increase cross-government collaboration and address society’s most challenging problems including biodiversity loss, climate change and land use change.

In addition to establishing the partner sites, the funding is enabling Natural England, the Environment Agency, the Forestry Commission and Kew to undertake further scientific research into the value of nature-based solutions and green finance models.

Researchers at Kew’s wild botanic garden, Wakehurst will research the value of broadleaf, coppiced and coniferous woodlands in building resilience to climate change. Using drones, they will measure plant biomass alongside greenhouse gas flux, and undertake soil fungal research to consider how different biodiverse habitats sequester carbon.

Natural England scientists are also assessing carbon and biodiversity both on the new habitats and assessing the carbon and biodiversity benefits of earlier habitat creation and restoration projects.

The Programme will run until March 2024.