Good Growth Programme invests £9.5m in nature recovery

Community spaces and places are being transformed across Cornwall thanks to a £9.5m investment from the Good Growth Programme in nature recovery and environmental growth.

The Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth Programme is a £137m local investment fund managed by Cornwall Council and funded by the Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

One of its three key objectives is to promote sustainable growth by supporting projects that deliver environmental, economic and social benefits for local communities. These initiatives aim to enhance Cornwall’s natural assets, build resilience to climate change, and create spaces that are accessible and inclusive for everyone.

Cllr Louis Gardner, Cornwall Council portfolio holder for economy, said: “The Good Growth Programme is a fantastic opportunity to invest in projects that not only benefit the environment but also improve the quality of life for people across Cornwall and Scilly. These investments demonstrate how we can work together to protect our unique natural heritage, support biodiversity, and ensure these spaces are available for generations to come both for local communities and visitors to our beautiful county.”

Among the Cornwall-wide nature projects supported by the Good Growth Programme is Urban Green Shoots, where a £975,000 investment is bringing increased biodiversity to public open spaces.

These range from closed churchyards and parks and public gardens to housing estates, road verges, pathways and urban woodlands. Access routes to green spaces are also being improved so that more people can enjoy them throughout the seasons.

Melissa Ralph, Making Space for Nature Manager at Cormac Solutions, which is delivering the Urban Green Shoots project for Cornwall Council, said an example of how Good Growth investment through the Urban Green Shoots project is making a real difference to the local community is Sungirt Valley at Liskeard.

She said: “Urban Green Shoots in Sungirt Valley has really helped us tackle climate change by protecting and improving the tree canopy cover. We’re intercepting storm events and safeguarding the runoff into the watercourses in the area. And we’ve been able to really improve access for local residents, school children and dog walkers with a lovely set of new pathways and improved steps so it’s a really good resource that we hope more people enjoy.”

Also supported by Good Growth is the work of the Cornwall Heritage Trust which has received £260,000 to support its work to preserve and strengthen Cornwall’s heritage, including Sancreed Beacon near Penzance which is rich in biodiversity.

Hollie Ferris, Countryside Ranger at the Trust, said: “The Cornwall Heritage Trust owns and looks after 16 sites all throughout Cornwall so our main aim is to preserve and strengthen Cornish heritage as well as improving our sites for biodiversity. Sancreed Beacon is a rare habitat and there are species which rely on the habitat, for example lizards, adders, the Dartford warbler – species which only are found on heathland. With the Good Growth Fund, it’s enabled Cornwall Heritage Trust to do more conservation work, engage more with local communities and have a higher impact.”

Community access and engagement is also a key objective of the Pigshill Woods Community Interest Company. It has received £171,260 of Good Growth funding to manage the 72-acre Pigshill and Clarrick Woods conservation woodland on the Rame Peninsula in South East Cornwall.

Director Danial Alvarez said: “What we do here is basically manage the woodland for the community and for nature. The funding from the Good Growth programme has been essential and we are achieving so much. The majority is towards access, so that’s about getting people into these woods and we are upgrading about a mile of tracks. It’s not just the physical access but also some of those things that make people feel a bit more welcome and engaged like picnic areas and benches, and things that tell people ‘welcome, come in and explore and get involved’.”

Cllr Martyn Alvey, Cornwall Council portfolio holder for environment and climate change, said: “These investments are contributing towards a sustainable and resilient future for Cornwall. By enhancing our natural assets and promoting biodiversity, we are not only protecting our environment but also enriching the lives of our communities.”

To watch a video about these nature recovery projects being supported by the Good Growth Programme click here.

ENDS

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