Connectivity Grants
As part of the project to revive important habitats across the Downs and support the wildlife, we have set up specific pots of money to help local landowners in doing so. Below are our grants opportunities and the requirements to qualify for these.
Grants for Land Managers
We are offering conservation grants of up to £10,000 for capital work proposals that contribute to securing habitat connectivity and improving access across the project area. If you are in the project area, you may qualify for one of our Grants. Check in the map tab (here) to see the project boundary. See below for our 2 grant options.
Hedgerow Grant
The Hedgerow grant could fund habitat projects that include any of the following:
- Restoring historic hedgerows.
- Planting new hedgerows to increase habitat connectivity and facilitate species movement across the landscape
- To interrupt surface flows of water and reduce run-off which may contribute to localised flooding
The terms and conditions for the grant can be downloaded from here
Connectivity Fund
- Fencing to secure long-term grazing management of chalk grassland
- Installation of a water supply to secure long-term grazing management of chalk grassland
- Pond creation and management
- Hedge planting, or restoration to improve habitat connectivity.
- Top soil inversion, top soil removal for creation of wildflower meadows
- Creation of scrapes
- Scrub clearance management on chalk grassland
More guidance on how to apply to this fund is available from here
If you have a project idea and would like to apply for any of the grants above, please email: Jenny.Price@kent.gov.uk or Lyndsay.Wayman-Rook@kent.gov.uk
See the Maps page here for some examples of projects we have previously funded.