- North Devon has two of the 90 projects across England that will receive funding through the second round of the Conservative Government’s £80 million Green Recovery Challenge Fund.
- The funding will help to accelerate the implementation of nature-based projects across England, from new ‘insect pathways’ in our countryside and towns, to tree planting projects in deprived urban areas.
- The Fund builds on the Prime Minister’s 10 Point Plan to kick-start nature recovery and tackle climate change, helping the nation build back greener from the pandemic.
Selaine Saxby has welcomed the announcement that The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty will receive £1,950,000 of funding to deliver upland landscapes for nature, climate and people, and that the South West Lakes Trust will receive £163,800 to help connect communities with their blue and green spaces. Over £2 million to help create and retain green jobs, and support new nature schemes in North Devon.
Combined with the £40 million from the first round of funding, this brings the total amount paid out through the Green Recovery Challenge Fund up to £80 million – supporting and creating a combined total of 2,500 green jobs.
The two rounds of funding will lead to almost a million trees being planted, contributing towards the Conservative Government’s manifesto commitment to treble tree planting rates across England by the end of Parliament.
The Fund is also contributing towards the Government’s wider 25 Year Environment Plan commitments, including commitments to treble tree-planting rates in England by the end of this Parliament and to restore 35,000 hectares of peat.
Commenting, Selaine Saxby MP for North Devon said:
“Preserving and restoring our precious natural environment is absolutely essential if we want it to be there and enjoyed by our children and grandchildren.
“At the last election I promised to work with the Government to protect our natural environment, and this funding will help to deliver on that promise as we build back better and greener from the pandemic.”
Commenting, Environment Minister Rebecca Pow said:
“The diverse and ambitious projects being awarded funding today will help environmental organisations employ more people to work on tree-planting, nature restoration and crucially, help more of the public to access and enjoy the outdoors.
“Through our £80 million Fund, we are on track to support over 2,500 jobs, plant almost a million trees and increase nature recovery at a huge scale across the country, which will help us deliver against our 25 Year Environment Plan.”
