The FMP, with partners Wildlife Trust BCN, the River Restoration Centre and The Nene Rivers Trust have been successful in securing one of the grants offered through the Water Restoration Fund. Our project is a development grant that will carry out field data collection and analysis to produce a twenty-year strategy for river and floodplain habitats in the Rivers Nene, Ise and Tove in Northamptonshire. It will start in January 2026 and run for 12 months. It will:
- Undertake an assessment of historical land use in the floodplain (9000 ha)
- Identify potential restoration sites based on historical mapping, habitat opportunity mapping and local knowledge (approx. 1300 ha)
- Carry out reach assessments for river morphology and restoration potential focussing on overlap with floodplain meadow potential sites
- Full botanical surveys from unsurveyed restoration sites (~60ha) and any new sites identified through the project
- Collect data (rapid botanical assessment and soil surveys) from approximately 500ha of floodplain grassland to assess existing quality and potential for restoration to species-rich meadow
- Collect data (rapid botanical assessment and soil surveys) from approximately 800 ha of floodplain grassland to assess existing quality and potential for restoration to floodplain grazing marsh
- Collect soil profiles and bulk density samples from 800 ha
The field work and data analysis will combine with a series of engagement activities with farmers and local community groups.
All findings will be shared with landowners as simple reports with recommendations for restoration and culminate in the production of a ‘20-year floodplain meadow and grazing marsh strategy for Northants’.
We are looking forward to getting started on this, and the publication of the lists in the Defra blog, has already prompted some wider interest.
https://defrafarming.blog.gov.uk/2025/10/03/working-together-for-water-51-projects-receive-share-of-11-million-fund/
