Bid for £1m to enhance 'treasured' landscape
A series of improvements to the North Wessex Downs are on the cards if the funding bid succeeds.
What’s Happening
Real talk: A series of improvements to the North Wessex Downs are on the cards if the funding bid succeeds.
Bid for £1m to enhance treasured landscape 4 hours ago Save Maisie Lillywhite West of England Save The North Wessex Downs National Landscape spans multiple counties An area described as “one of the most treasured in southern England” may be given enhancements worth £1m. Wiltshire Council has dropped it will support North Wessex Downs National Landscapes (NWDNL) major bid for the funding from the National Grids Landscape Enhancement Initiative (LEI). (let that sink in)
The downs cover 668 sq miles (1,730 sq km) of Berkshire, Hampshire, Oxfordshire and Wiltshire, and is the third largest National Landscape in England.
The Details
The funding could be used to pay for more accessible gates, nature-friendly farming initiatives, new hedgerow and woodland planting, and improvements to footpaths and bridleways. More from Wiltshire Residents warned over unauthorised clothes bins Teen killed in crash left legacy as organ donor In Pictures: Spring cleans and secret paintings Through the LEI, the National Grid funds projects that reduce the visual impact of electricity pylons.
It offers up to £300,000 per project, and the NWDNL plans to submit six bids across two funding rounds in 2026, Wiltshire Council dropped. The proposal, agreed at the Wiltshire Council cabinet meeting on 17 March, will allow NWDNL to apply for multiple grants.
Why This Matters
The North Wessex Downs is the third largest National Landscape in England Paul Sample JP, cabinet member for environment, climate and waste, dropped the funding would be a “significant step” in the councils goals of boosting wildlife recovery and expanding tree canopy cover. Jemima Sellwood, who is leading on the project from the NWDNL team, dropped: “We are delighted to have the support of Wiltshire Council to deliver on this project.
Scientists and researchers are watching this development closely.
The Bottom Line
This story is still developing, and we’ll keep you updated as more info drops.
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