Hedging your bets by digging ponds for 'dinosaur-esque' species

In this blog, CLA South East rural adviser Lucy Charman outlines how establishing new ponds and hedges can enhance nature, and the funding available to farmers for such projects...

With increasingly extreme weather patterns and the country in a biodiversity crisis, what are some scalable measures that the majority of landowners can take to address these issues? In this blog I just wanted to touch on two mechanisms that independently offer great rewards.

Firstly the humble (or perhaps mighty) hedge offers incredible value in the landscape. Hedgerow removal stems back to rebellions against enclosures in the 1500s with shifting trends from removal to planting repeating through the ages.

After the Second World War, the Agriculture Act incentivised farmers to remove hedges in order to increase food production and allow access for larger machinery. Coming to the present day, we have now come full circle, with government funding supporting reinstatement and improvement of existing hedges due to recognising the benefits offered by reinstating these lost habitats.

Hedgerows provide habitat and wildlife corridors for a huge range of lichens, invertebrates, insects, amphibians, birds and mammals, offer shelter to livestock and perform natural flood management by intercepting rainfall and run-off and increasing filtration.

There are many sources of funding available for gapping up or hedgerow creation, including national projects like MOREHedges from the Woodland Trust, or more local schemes through organisations like CPRE or Tree Council like The Hampshire Hedge or Wild Oxfordshire.

Funding for hedgerow creation and maintenance is in Countryside Stewardship, SFI and capital grant schemes. At the time of writing the standalone capital grants scheme is on pause, however I envisage the scheme reopening in some form later this year so watch this space.

If you are located in one of the National Landscapes or a National Park, there may still be an opportunity to apply for Farming in Protected Landscapes (FIPL) funding to support your hedgerow project too. There are also occasional schemes funded as part of larger infrastructure schemes like Rampion Offshore Wind Farm or the HS2 railway.

Another tool in the box available to everyone from gardeners through to large estates is the creation of ponds or water bodies. Water bodies offer homes, breeding grounds, nesting sites, food and a water source for all manner of species.

In its simplest form it can be a trough or barrel or it can take the form of restoration of a historic dewpond or larger scale pond or lake. Creating ponds between existing water bodies allows movement for flora and fauna.

Ponds ideally need to be fed by clean water and suitably located to avoid run-off from roads, yards, tracks, manure heaps and arable fields. Historic sites, priority habitats or areas already utilised for flood defences should also be avoided.

There is a useful guide to pond creation from DEFRA noting some of the key considerations and regulations. Pond creation is supported through the Countryside Stewardship Scheme and FIPL. Again there are a large number of other funds including Pounds for Ponds in the South Downs, TOE (Trust for Oxfordshire’s Environment), alongside some of the region’s water companies who also offer different capital grant schemes depending on their priorities. In addition, councils often run community grants for both pond and hedge projects.

One pond species of particular note is the Great Crested Newt, the largest newt species. They are widely distributed around the UK, but their distribution is patchy following a decline in suitable habitat. Pond restoration will help to provide suitable habitats for this protected species that looks like a mini dinosaur.

The Newt Conservation Partnership is offering 100% funding to landowners to deliver habitat creation and restoration, and can also compensate landowners via annual payments for up to 25 years within the terms of a management agreement. At present, they are particularly looking for sites in Surrey but anyone interested can email info@newtpartnership.org.uk