Nature Recovery Network: Bradford and South Pennines NRP

One of six new nature recovery projects (tranche II) supported by funding from Defra and Natural England.

Spanning 30,000ha, this multi-partner collaborative project will restore and enhance the condition of the upland peat landscapes in the South Pennines, restoring habitats for moorland birds such as the endangered twite.

Natural Flood Management techniques will benefit communities at risk of flooding in the Calder Valley with the creation of intertwining mosaics of wetland habitats. Green corridors will also be created, linking upland sites to the urban environment and industrial heartlands, and allowing wildlife to move freely.

The project will work closely with community groups and the NHS, providing opportunities to connect the people of Bradford and West Yorkshire with nature on their doorstep. Working with Bradford City of Culture 2025, the project will encourage sustainable access to nature and highlight the environmental links between the industrial heartlands of West Yorkshire and the moors which define them.

Nature recovery projects (NRPs) make a major contribution to growing the Nature Recovery Network, a network of more, bigger and better wildlife-rich places that are connected, to help species move and thrive, address climate change and improve access to nature, benefiting health and wellbeing. They will help deliver on the commitments set out in the government’s Environmental Improvement Plan to halt the decline in nature and support thriving plants and wildlife.