Lottery cash to improve access to city wetland arc

Schools and young people will be invited to play their part in plans for the wetland park

A wetland project has been awarded a £213,000 grant to improve access and habitats for nature and visitors.

The River Great Ouse Valley Wetland Arc project will begin work on "a masterplan for a sustainable future of this unique parkland", said The Parks Trust.

The wetland arc stretches across the north of Milton Keynes and is made up of 355 hectares (about 500 football pitches) of linear parkland, nature sites and floodplain meadows along the course of the River Great Ouse.

The Parks Trust said the National Lottery Heritage Fund money would allow it "to create a forward-thinking plan to ensure it remains abundant with wildlife whilst being accessible for people".

The project wants to increase both public access and enhance natural habitats for wildlife

Chief executive of The Parks Trust, Victoria Miles, said: "Our aim is to create city landscapes that deliver more for both nature and people in Milton Keynes, forever."

Lewis Dickinson, nature services manager added: "As wetland habitats are being lost globally, it's more important than ever to raise awareness of and plan for a sustainable future of our lakes and floodplains, and for the river corridor itself."

The trust will "create a community-led masterplan for the Wetland Arc, fusing the views of local people with ambitions for nature restoration".

The wetland arc near Milton Keynes also serves as a flood plain

Local residents, schools, and volunteers will be invited to take part in community events, ideas fairs, practical volunteering activities and citizen science projects.

The grant includes funding the trust to recruit a project officer whose role will focus on engaging new audiences and embedding local ideas into the future of the landscape.

Established as a charity in 1992, The Parks Trust cares for about 6,000 acres of green space in Milton Keynes including river valleys, ancient woodlands, lakes, parks and landscaped areas along the city's grid roads.