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Shropshire Council has welcomed news that the Shropshire Hills will receive £993,000 in development funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund as part of its Landscape Connections programme, supporting long-term nature recovery, climate resilience and community engagement across one of the county’s valued landscapes.

The funding will support the development phase of the Shropshire Hills Landscape Connections project, which brings together farmers, landowners, communities, young people and partner organisations to explore how nature can be restored and enhanced at a landscape scale. The project has the potential to unlock a further £8.9 million in delivery funding in the future if the next stage is approved.

Over the next decade, the project aims to work with more than 200 landowners, deliver large-scale river restoration projects and support a wide range of smaller nature recovery initiatives across the Shropshire Hills. It will also help communities and parish councils play a greater role in delivering local environmental priorities, while creating opportunities for young people through funded traineeships.

The announcement aligns closely with the ambitions set out in Shropshire’s Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS), which provides a shared framework for restoring nature, strengthening biodiversity and bringing together communities, landowners and organisations to deliver practical improvements for the natural environment.

Sarah Marston, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for the environment, said: “This is fantastic news for the Shropshire Hills and for everyone who cares about protecting and enhancing our natural environment. The funding recognises both the importance of this nationally significant landscape and the strength of the partnership approach that is already taking shape across the county.

“Nature recovery, climate resilience and environmental stewardship cannot be delivered by any one organisation alone. By working with landowners, communities, conservation groups and partner organisations, we have a real opportunity to create lasting benefits for wildlife, landscapes and people.

“The funding will help us build on the work already underway through Shropshire’s Local Nature Recovery Strategy, supporting practical action on the ground and helping partners work together to restore habitats, improve ecological connectivity and strengthen the resilience of our natural environment for future generations. We look forward to continuing this important work alongside our partners.”

The Landscape Connections programme is a £150 million, 10-year investment by The National Lottery Heritage Fund designed to support large-scale nature recovery projects across some of the UK's most important landscapes.

Here the project will be led by the National Trust, and has been co-developed with Shropshire Hills National Landscape Team, Shropshire Wildlife Trust, Severn Rivers Trust, Upper Onny Farmers Group, Natural England and the Environment Agency.

Shropshire Council is already working with a wide range of partners to deliver environmental improvements across the county, including through the recently adopted LNRS, and the Severn Valley Water Management Scheme in the upper Severn catchment.

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