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01
Nov
Nidderdale woodland restoration could get six-figure boost
A major project to restore ancient woodland in Nidderdale and the Yorkshire Dales could be in for a £640,000 boost from National Lottery funding.
The Woodland Trust is leading efforts to secure funding for a large-scale project across Nidderdale National Landscape and the Yorkshire Dales National Park, and North Yorkshire Council is joining a bid for £643,746 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Ancient woodland is defined as woodland that has existed continuously since at least 1600, and it is valued in part because it supports far more biodiverse ecosystems than does more recently planted woodland.
In a report prepared for Michael Leah, North Yorkshire Council's assistant director for the environment and transport, Nidderdale National Landscape manager Iain Mann writes:
There is a significant amount of ancient woodland within the national landscape, and we want to work with landowners to ensure that this is managed appropriately.
To date we have not had sufficient resources to undertake the scale of ancient woodland management required to deliver nature recovery across this habitat.
North Yorkshire Council’s share of the proposed funding would be £201,061, allowing its Nidderdale National Landscape team to pay for a full-time woodland officer and an engagement officer working four days a week. They would engage with woodland owners in Nidderdale National Landscape, manage contractors to carry out woodland surveys, and identify options for deer management and woodland restoration.
Drawing on this two-year development phase, the Woodland Trust and its project partners – which include the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority and the White Rose Forest (hosted by Kirklees Council) – would develop a follow-up bid to fund the delivery stage of the project.
The Woodland Trust intends to submit the development bid next month (November), and the proposed development project would run from April 2027 to March 2029.
A further funding application would then be needed before large-scale restoration work could begin.
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