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A project to restore 213 hectares of rare coastal habitat in County Durham has been launched with nearly £1m of funding.

Durham County Council has partnered with the National Trust and Durham Wildlife Trust to deliver the Coastal Grasslands Reconnected Project.

The project, which has received £975,000 from the Government’s Species Survival Fund, will create and restore the wildflower-rich Magnesian Limestone grasslands along the county’s coastline from Noses Point to Horden.

It will also involve the creation of mosaic habitats – different types of habitats found close together – to create a wildlife corridor from woodlands to the coastline, through the planting of hedgerows, trees, scrub, and the creation of ponds.

The funding will be used to support the management of the habitats through fencing, installation of water sources, baling, and surveys. It will also include improvements for a high tide roost area for birds at Blackhall Rocks.

Cllr Mark Wilkes, Durham County Council’s Cabinet member for neighbourhoods and climate change, said: “County Durham’s coastline is home to the unique and very rare Magnesian Limestone grassland. This habitat is a rich and valuable ecological resource: home to diverse and rare flora and fauna. We are delighted to work in partnership with the National Trust and Durham Wildlife Trust to secure funding for the Coastal Grasslands Reconnected Project.

“Not only will this project help us to restore and protect the native and biodiverse habitats of our coastline, it also supports our work to tackle the county’s ecological emergency and reverse the decline in important species and habitats.”

Throughout the project, the partnership will be working with local communities, youth groups, and schools, and there will be opportunities for volunteering in species monitoring and countryside management.

Future volunteer opportunities and project updates will be posted on the Heritage Coast Partnership Facebook page.

The Coastal Grasslands Reconnected project is funded by the Government's Species Survival Fund. The fund was developed by Defra and its Arm's-Length Bodies. It is being delivered by The National Lottery Heritage Fund in partnership with Natural England and the Environment Agency.