Green light for nature reserve after £50k funding

04/06/26

A new nature reserve protecting a rare and threatened habitat in Mid Suffolk is a step closer to being created after receiving a funding boost in the first round of Community Nature Recovery Grants.

Mid Suffolk District Council has awarded £50,000 to Chalkeith Conservation Ltd to support the purchase of a 20-acre site in Needham Market which will become the site of the new nature reserve.

The project will enable the long-term management of the land, ensuring that an area of calcareous grassland – a species-rich habitat which has become increasingly scarce across the UK – is safeguarded for years to come.

Ecologoical surveys have already identified a large number of protected and endangered species on the site and the conservation project also hopes to create greater hibernation and feeding opportunities for swifts, hedgehogs, toads and bats.

Two other projects have also received allocations through the Community Nature Recovery Grant, which opened for its first application window in January 2026.

Botesdale Parish Council has been awarded £19,710 to deliver an Ecology and Biodiversity Improvement Programme at Botesdale Recreation Ground, creating new habitats, planting, a programme of community engagement, and an eco-trail.

Meanwhile, Suffolk Wildlife Trust received £4,880 to undertake hydrological modelling work on behalf of the Gipping Valley Cluster of 38 farms around the valley. This will see nature-based solutions identified for the farms, including linking up wildlife corridors, improving water quality and opportunities for tree and hedgerow planting.

Cllr Tim Weller, Mid Suffolk District Council cabinet member for environment, culture and wellbeing, said:

“Protecting nature has always been of vital importance for us, and we established the Community Nature Recovery Grants as a way to further empower and support the many community groups already doing excellent conservation work in our district.

From creating new nature reserves to planting trees and hedgerows, each project goes a long way to ensuring Mid Suffolk remains a beautiful, healthy and vibrant place to live and I’m looking forward to seeing all the great results from this round of funding.”

The Community Nature Recovery Grant funding window will reopen on 15 June. Organisations can still apply for a Catchment and Landscape Nature Recovery Grant, which is a £525,000 fund established to support ambitious nature recovery and water management projects.