More than £1million is set to be spent on a major five-year project to improve and protect the nature and wildlife of Crowborough and the Wealden district.
Wealden District Council is teaming up with the Sussex Wildlife Trust (SWT) and has earmarked £1.2million for the “Wilder Wealden” project, including employing project staff for SWT. The ambitious plan was agreed by the council’s Cabinet.
At that meeting councillors were told: “The natural environment forms an important part of the identity of the district. Not only is wildlife in decline but the district also has to provide new homes. New approaches are, therefore, required to ensure that wildlife is protected and enhanced as part of what makes the district a special place to live and work.”
Five year plan
The Wilder Wealden project will be a five-year collaboration with Sussex Wildlife Trust to establish Nature Recovery Networks across the district.
Councillors heard “This unique and ambitious project aims to reverse the decline in biodiversity while strengthening climate resilience. By enhancing and expanding wildlife habitats, we not only support nature recovery but also create landscapes that absorb carbon, buffer against extreme weather events such as flooding, and contribute to long-term environmental stability.”
The project will see the recruitment of new specialist SWT environmental staff who will work with landowners, organisations and communities to reverse the declines in wildlife that have taken place over the last 20 to 30 years. This work would also incorporate Council owned land as appropriate.
Monitoring progress
Together the council and SWT will create an action plan outlining how the aims will be achieved and a partnership board will be established to monitor the project’s progress. An annual report will also be prepared by the Trust which will formally reported to Cabinet on an annual basis. The action plan will be drawn up in coming months and the project is expected to start in 2026.
Officers told councillors that the aims of the project would be the creation of nature recovery networks as well as habitat restoration, improved water quality and habitat restoration including:
- Help wildlife thrive across the Wealden District by restoring habitats and supporting biodiversity
- Create networks of land protected and enhanced for wildlife, allowing habitats to expand and species populations to grow making them more resilient to change
- Increase awareness of community actions that improve their local natural environment and highlights the benefits wildlife provides
- Maximise the opportunities from protecting and enhancing wildlife to tackle climate change and reduce its impacts across the district
- Encourage and support volunteering, landowner participation, and citizen science to monitor and restore nature, fostering community ownership and pride.
Greener and healthier
They said the project “marks a progressive step towards a greener, healthier and more connected future. It represents the district council’s commitment to creating a long-term sustainable legacy, one that brings people together through a deeper connection with nature.
Although Wealden District Council looks set to be abolished in the reorganisation of local government in East Sussex, the officers’ report added that the Wilder Wealden project was for the long term. “It is designed to endure beyond the lifetime of Wealden District Council, laying the foundations for nature recovery across the district and beyond.”