Cash boost for Nene Valley as part of £7.5m investment into flagship nature areas
THE NENE Valley has been chosen as one of a dozen flagship nature areas that will receive a share of £7.5 million from the Government.
Environment secretary Caroline Spelman this week announced the chosen 12 Nature Improvement Areas (NIAs) in England, whittled down from 76 bids.
The funding will be used in the next three years to boost the Nene Valley as a wildlife habitat, as well as improving the ecology of the river.
Brian Eversham, chief executive of the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire and Cambridgeshire, which is leading the project, said: “I am thrilled the Nene Valley has been recognised as one of the first NIAs. The announcement puts Northamptonshire and its wildlife on the map as one of England’s top nature areas.
“I hope the success of the Nene Valley NIA and the other 11 schemes will form the start of a new Government commitment to wildlife protection across our three counties and the rest of England.”
The Nene Valley NIA covers an area of 41,000 hectares running through the heart of Northampton and the county to Peterborough. It includes the River Nene and its tributaries, gravel pits, reservoirs and the valley’s floodplains.
Together with the River Nene Regional Park and a variety of other organisations, the Wildlife Trust will work to deliver significant improvements to the valley.
Dr Jeff Ollerton, reader in biodiversity at The University of Northampton, said: “This is a once in a generation opportunity to establish the Nene Valley as a flagship region which delivers not just nature conservation but also the ecosystem services on which our society depends.”
Councillor Ben Smith (Con, Green Norton), Northamptonshire County Council cabinet member for environment, added: “The valley is somewhere where human activity takes place in a stunning natural environment so it is essential that a balance is maintained and we achieve a sustainable way of working together.”
The NIAs were a key commitment of the Natural Environment White Paper, a statement outlining the Government’s vision for the natural environment for the next 50 years. It is hoped the areas will safeguard wildlife for generations to come.
The Nene Valley partnership is due to start work in April.
Email to a friend
Print this page- BREAKING NEWS: Tributes paid to Niamh Curry as brave five-year-old loses battle against cancer
- BREAKING NEWS: Pensioner dies after collision at Northampton shopping centre
- Man tied to tree and beaten on Northampton Racecourse
- BREAKING NEWS: Woman’s body found after ‘suicide’ in Northampton hotel room
- BREAKING NEWS: Seven-year-old boy dies following house fire in Northamptonshire
- Northampton binmen at ‘breaking point’
- Staff strike at Northampton school over academy plans forces closure
- Saints’ stadium plans get support as long as traffic issues solved
- Eastern European pupils helping school standards across Northampton
- Exclusive: PM David Cameron says Northamptonshire Police Commissioner role is “a big job for a big local figure”
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Northampton
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: East
Comments
There are 1 comments to this article
Page 1 of 1
willi eckaslyke
Sunday, March 4, 2012 at 09:14 AMQuote of the Week: "The valley is somewhere where human activity takes place in a stunning natural environment."...We'll have none of that sort of talk thank you very much.
Page 1 of 1
Your view
Please sign in to be able to comment on this story.