South Tyneside receives £14m grant to restore local wildlife and boost nature

South Tyneside Council is joining forces with Gateshead and Sunderland to boost nature in the area.

The Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) is one of 48 in England benefiting from £14m of funding to create and restore habitats and develop a tailored plan to protect species.

Woodlands, wildflower meadows, wetlands, birds, butterflies and mammals are all targeted habitats and species for the project.

Councillor Ernest Gibson, Lead Member for Neighbourhoods and Climate Change at South Tyneside Council, said “We are delighted to be working with Natural England and our neighbouring authorities on nature conservation.

“Earlier this year, South Tyneside declared an ecological emergency, making a commitment to do whatever we can to reverse the decline in nature, to take action to restore and protect our natural habitats and support them to recover and thrive.”

The LNRS will help the local community map out the action needed to restore nature, enabling them to work closely with local people- from farmers and landowners, to interest groups and schools.

Gibson continued: “This new partnership project supports us with the work we are doing to enhance our borough’s natural environment as well as our climate change ambitions of becoming carbon neutral by 2030.”

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