Government to fund 180 local projects to boost water quality - Defra

£11.5m extra funding announced to boost tree planting, habitat restoration and flood management across England through the Water Environment Improvement Fund.

• Millions of pounds of extra funding to boost tree planting, habitat restoration and flood management
• Expanded fund to help plant thousands of trees and improve the quality of rivers up and down the country
• 180 projects set to benefit, including in York, Lincolnshire and North Devon

Local projects across England will be able to clean up lakes and rivers, protect communities from flooding and plant thousands of trees, thanks to £11.5 million of government support.

The funding, which includes money from the Nature for Climate Fund, will also unlock up to an extra £11.5 million from organisations including the National Lottery, local rivers and wildlife trusts or from private investment, bringing the total possible investment to £23 million.

This uplift will be allocated to local catchment partnerships through the Water Environment Improvement Fund (WEIF) supporting 180 local projects across England. Projects to be funded this year include:

• The Limestone Becks River Restoration project in Lincolnshire, which will provide improved habitats for wildlife from water voles to invertebrates;
• Phase II of The York Urban Becks project, which aims to create a more natural river course and support local habitats; and
• The Woods for Devon project, creating woodlands to improve water quality, support wildlife, and carbon capture.

Overall, the additional funding is expected to lead to an additional 300km of English rivers being protected and improved. It will also support the creation and restoration of around 160 hectares of inland and coastal waters.