£200k grant from National Grid helps to restore old hedgerows and establish new woodland copses near Lancaster

The funding has been awarded to the Forest of Bowland AONB Partnership through National Grid’s Landscape Enhancement Initiative (LEI).

The aim of the LEI is to reduce the visual impact of existing infrastructure in those Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs) and National Parks which have overhead electricity transmission lines within their footprint.

The Forest of Bowland funding was confirmed in April 2021 and, since then, over one and a half kilometres of hedgerow have been re-planted or brought back into management by local landowners and farmers, through a programme of grant-aid.

Rebuilding has also begun on a prominent length of dry stone wall off Langthwaite Road, one of the main routes from the popular Trough of Bowland into Lancaster, with further repairs planned.

Sandra Silk, AONB project officer, said, "This is a beautiful part of Bowland, backed by Clougha and the fells to east, with rolling farmland along the valley of the River Conder, but the position of the electricity transmission lines along the ridge to the west does make them very visible."

"Whilst we may not always be able to directly screen the pylons, bringing old hedge boundaries back into management, restoring walls and planting new hedgerows and field corner woodlands, all helps to enhance the surrounding landscape and mitigate their impact."

UK conservation charity, the Woodland Trust, are providing fully funded hedge plants, woodland saplings and plant protection to the Forest of Bowland LEI project. Their Northern Forest Outreach Advisor, Hannah Marshall, said, "Increasing tree cover in the right places is so valuable. Not only is it a fantastic way to provide wildlife habitats and support biodiversity, it's also a really important step in helping to address climate change."

The Bowland project, which is set to run until March 2024, covers an area from Halton in the north to Ellel Crag quarry in the south.

Anyone interested in applying to take part should contact the AONB by emailing [email protected] or by phoning Sandra on 07973 923142.