Project Name
Working Wetlands
Lead Organisation
Devon Wildlife Trust
Contact details
Name
Emma Richardson
Email
Phone number
erichardson@devonwildlifetrust.org
01392 279244
Outline Project Description Please describe the activity that
you plan to undertake.
The Working Wetlands project has been working across the Culm
NCA since 2008. The project works with landowners and partners
to halt the decline of the Culm’s unique natural attributes. The
Working Wetlands approach uses an innovative mix of landowner
advice and training; equipment loans; grazing networks; small
grants; cutting edge research and community engagement to
promote change on a landscape scale.
Various funding streams for this project come to an end in March
2015 and whilst some funding has been secured for work to
continue on the Tamar and Exe catchments and other catchments
beyond the Culm NCA, work in the Taw and Torridge faces a very
uncertain future leaving landowners adrift without the support and
advice they need.
Geography – Where will activity
take place?
The Culm NCA (encompassing part or all of the Tamar, Torridge,
Taw and Exe catchments) and extending to the Dart and Otter.
Timing – Over what time period
2015-2020
will activity take place?
Partners – Who are the
potential partners?
Please indicate if partners have
been involved in the development
of the project to date, or if they
have yet to be approached.
The Working Wetlands project has enjoyed support from and
collaboration with an extensive list of partners. These include (but
are not limited to):
 South West Water
 Natural England
 Environment Agency
 Biosphere Reserve
Fit with Natural Devon’s aims
To protect and improve Devon’s Primary
natural environment
To grow Devon’s green economy Primary
secondary
To reconnect Devon’s people
with nature
Commentary:
The Working Wetlands project fits directly with all 3 aims.
Fit with Natural Devon’s
priority themes - Please select
Naturally Healthy
Green Connections
Outdoor Learning
the primary theme(s) that your
secondary
secondary
secondary
project supports, as well as any
themes where the project makes
a secondary contribution. If your
project does not have a primary
theme, please select the
appropriate secondary themes.
More information can be found
at
Farming with Nature
Wood for Good
Resilient Wetlands
Sustainable Seas
http://www.naturaldevon.org.uk/wpcontent/uploads/2014/01/Final-DLNPprospectus-jan20141.pdf
This project directly delivers against the LNP’s Resilient Wetlands
and Farming with Nature themes, covering a large portion of
Devon. In particular the new phase of the Working Wetlands
Project will cover:
Tamar, Dart, Exe, Fernworthy, Otter, Barnstaple Yeo as well as
continuing to work in the Taw and the Torridge if funding can be
secured.
Fit with HOTSW LEP Strategic
Economic Plan Priorities.
Please describe how your project contributes to the Heart of the
SW LEP’s Priorities for Growth (see Appendix A). Please list the
priorities where your project could make a direct contribution and
explain how it will contribute.
Appendix 1 provides a summary
of the Priorities for Growth. More
information can be found:
http://www.heartofswlep.co.uk/strategiceconomic-plan
Primary
secondary
Primary
no alignment
Commentary:
This project can deliver against the HOTSW LEP Priorities for:
Improving infrastructure for growth by delivering sustainable
solutions for flood management through natural engineering
projects.
Supporting higher value growth by developing innovative
techniques for habitat creation.
Creating a favourable business environment by improving access
to RDPE funding for farmers and stimulating enterprise in the
agricultural environment.
Creating a responsive environment by developing agricultural and
rural skills, providing opportunities for training and skills
development and improving technical land management skills
within the agricultural industry.
Financials
Outcomes - Please describe
what you expect the project to
achieve in terms of
What is the estimated total
project cost?
What proportion of total project
cost are capital costs?
Have you secured any funding
for the project yet? If so, list
amounts and sources.
In your view, what are the
potential sources of funding for
this project?
Environmental Outcomes:

£4,000,000
25%
£2,650,000 secured from South
West Water
European funding, landfill tax,
UK government B2020 funding
The project will have made a significant contribution
Environmental, Social and
Economic Outcomes





towards the delivery of Biodiversity 2020 targets
The Working Wetlands catchments are more robust and
resilient landscapes, due to strategic targeting of seminatural habitat creation and management
The delivery of WFD and FCRM objectives in priority areas
of the catchments are supported by targeting of seminatural habitat creation and management
Landowners are targeted and supported to ensure
opportunities for habitat enhancement and resource
protection and management are optimised
The status and extent of priority species is enhanced
Flood mitigation and water quality is enhanced in priority
areas of the catchment targeting semi-natural habitat
creation and management
Social Outcomes:


The health and wellbeing of local people and the local
workforce is supported by connection and interaction with
the local landscape
Traditional farming families are supported to continue
farming on their family holdings.
Economic Outcomes:


Quantifiable outputs - Please

provide any information you have
about quantifiable benefits?
Please describe how these have
been estimated.


Consultation – What
consultation has already occurred
is more required?
Statutory Approvals – What
statutory approvals will be
required for the project? Are
these in place?
Risks – What are the main risks
associated with this project?
Landowners have the necessary skills, knowledge and
resources to deliver and manage resilient, sustainable
farming systems.
Research projects provide new and additional benefits of
the value of the natural environment in supporting the
local economy
280 farms will have revised management agreements to
deliver environmental outcomes
1,000 acres of Culm grassland restored or re-created
Further targets to be delivered if funding is secured for
Torridge and Taw
The Working Wetlands project works closely with a number of
partners through the Project Advisory Group and the Culm Advisors
Group. The project is also linked into the Tamar, North Devon and
East Devon Catchment Partnerships.
Ongoing consultation with Natural England, SWW and EA will be
required during the project.
Case by case approvals for certain habitat, in-stream or other siterelated works.
Lack of landowner engagement due to reduction in agrienvironment funding availability.
People
Business
Place
Appendix 1: Heart of the SW LEP Priorities for Growth
Creating the Conditions for Growth Improving our infrastructure and services to
underpin growth
Maximising Productivity and Employment
Opportunities - stimulating jobs and
growth across the whole economy
Capitalising on our Distinctive Assets Utilising our distinctive assets to create
opportunities for business growth and better
jobs
The infrastructure and facilities needed to
support higher value growth:
 Specialist marine sites
 Science/Innovation infrastructure
 Maximising our environmental
assets
Infrastructure for growth:
 Transport and accessibility
 Digital infrastructure
 Sustainable solutions for flood
management
 Energy Infrastructure
The infrastructure and facilities to create
more and better employment:
 Enterprise infrastructure
 Strategic employment sites
 Unlocking housing growth
Creating a favourable business environment
 A simpler, more accessible, business
support system, tailored to our
needs
o Improving access to finance
o Stimulating enterprise and
growth
Creating a responsive environment, where
businesses and individuals can reach their
potential:
 Skills infrastructure and facilities
 Accessibility to
education/employment (transport,
careers advice and digital inclusion)
 Employer engagement and
ownership
Achieving more sustainable and broadly
based business growth:
 Reaching new markets (on-line,
supply chains, public sector)
 Globalisation (exports and inward
investment)
Supporting higher value growth:
 Innovation through Smart
Specialisation
 Building our capacity for innovation
Increasing employment, progression and
workforce skills.
 Moving people into employment
 Supporting people to progress to
better jobs
 Improving workforce skills
Creating a world class workforce to support
higher value growth:
 Enterprise and business skills
 Technical and higher level skills
development and retention
 Maximising the skills and
employment opportunities aligned
to our transformational
opportunities.