FARMERS and land managers are urged to take advantage of grant funding to conserve, enhance and restore traditional field boundaries.
Anglesey Council’s Countryside and Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) Team has received funding through the Welsh Government’s ‘Sustainable Landscape, Sustainable Places’ scheme.
The grant offers up to 70% funding for the restoration / creation of the field boundaries, with a maximum of £4000 per applicant.
Traditional boundaries form an integral part of Anglesey’s landscape – dry stone walls, hedgerows and cloddiau are all part of the character of Anglesey’s countryside. These boundaries not only serve a practical purpose, but they are also vitally important for wildlife and the environment.
Field boundaries of stone or hedgerows provide livestock with shelter from extreme wintery conditions, or from the heat of the summer sun, while also providing a habitat throughout the year. They also provide a safe refuge for small creatures and form a safe, linked corridor network for them to traverse in safety.
Hedgerows are of particular benefit to biodiversity and the environment. They provide a source of food for wildlife, and they also help the environment by improving air quality, storing carbon and helping to mitigate the effects of heavy rainfall by slowing down water penetration.
Anglesey AONB Community Warden, Joseff Davies, said “This is a fantastic scheme that will benefit both land managers and the environment, as well as the wider rural economy through the creation of work for local contractors. The scheme will run for a period of three years ending in April 2025, with the second window now open for expressions of interest.”
Leisure, Tourism and Maritime portfolio holder, Councillor Neville Evans, explained, “This is an innovative scheme that will benefit Anglesey’s natural environment and supports our overarching biodiversity and climate change plan that forms one of our key objectives. I would encourage all eligible farmers and landowners to complete an expression of interest by contacting the Council’s Countryside and AONB Unit.”
For more information, or to declare an expression of interest please contact the County Council’s Countryside and AONB unit: [email protected] / 01248 752463.
Closing date for the first round of expressions of interest is the 4th of August 2023.
