Lindow Moss Landscape Partnership

What is it?

A 465 ha landscape project focused on peatland restoration, wet woodland creation, and habitat enhancement, targeting the carbon and biodiversity markets. Lindow Moss is the largest lowland peatland in Cheshire. 

The Lindow Moss Landscape Partnership is a 465-hectare landscape recovery project focused on restoring one of Cheshire’s most important lowland peatland environments. 

The programme combines peatland restoration, wet woodland creation and habitat enhancement to support carbon sequestration, biodiversity recovery and long-term environmental resilience. 

Lindow Moss represents the largest lowland peatland in Cheshire and provides a significant opportunity to deliver climate and nature recovery outcomes at landscape scale. 

Why is this needed? / Why are we doing this?

Lowland peatlands are among the UK’s most important carbon stores and ecological habitats, yet many have been degraded through historic drainage, land use change and habitat fragmentation. 

Restoring Lindow Moss will help protect and enhance a nationally significant peatland landscape while improving water retention, supporting wildlife recovery and increasing climate resilience. 

The programme also supports investment into natural carbon storage and biodiversity enhancement markets. 

What is it going to deliver?

The will deliver:

• Peatland re-wetting and restoration
• Wet woodland creation
• Habitat enhancement and ecological connectivity
• Biodiversity Net Gain habitat creation
• Long-term carbon sequestration
• Improved water retention and hydrological resilience
• Protection and enhancement of rare species and wetland habitats
• Opportunities for investment into carbon and biodiversity markets  

The programme has already secured approximately £250,000 towards delivery and development activity.

Intervention:

LNRS Priorities and Actions / LNP Goals:

This project aligns with the following Cheshire Local Nature Partnership goals: 

Border Farms Ltd

What is it?

Border Farms Ltd is a large-scale collaborative land management and environmental resilience programme covering more than 3,000 hectares of farmland. 

The project focuses on reducing the environmental impacts associated with intensive agricultural systems while introducing large-scale interventions that improve water resilience, carbon sequestration and biodiversity recovery. 

The programme combines natural infrastructure with productive farming to support long-term landscape resilience and environmental performance. 

Why is this needed? / Why are we doing this?

Agricultural landscapes face increasing pressure from climate change, nutrient runoff, water management challenges and biodiversity decline. There is growing demand for farming systems that can remain productive while delivering wider environmental benefits. 

Border Farms Ltd has been developed to demonstrate how landscape-scale interventions can reduce environmental pressures from intensive farming while creating new investment opportunities linked to nature recovery and resilience. 

The project also supports regional priorities around water management, nutrient neutrality and sustainable food production. 

What is it going to deliver?

The programme will deliver a range of interventions across water, carbon, biodiversity and renewable energy infrastructure, including:

Key delivery areas include: 

• Woodland and habitat creation
• Peatland and soil restoration
• On-farm water storage
• Natural flood management interventions
• Hedgerow restoration and herbal lays
• Nutrient neutrality measures including buffer strips
• Reduced agricultural runoff
• Biodiversity Net Gain habitat creation
• Carbon sequestration opportunities

Renewable energy infrastructure including anaerobic digestion and green hydrogen opportunities

The project has been designed as a scalable, multi-farm environmental resilience programme capable of supporting future investment markets across carbon, biodiversity and water services.

Intervention:

LNRS Priorities and Actions / LNP Goals:

This project aligns with the following Cheshire Local Nature Partnership goals: 

Gowy Meadows Expansion Project

What is it?

The Gowy Meadows Expansion Project is a pilot landscape restoration and flood resilience initiative focused on the Lower Gowy catchment in Cheshire.

The project will deliver wetland creation, meadow habitat restoration and natural flood management interventions designed to reduce flood risk, improve biodiversity and strengthen ecological resilience across the catchment.

The programme forms part of wider ambitions to restore the Gowy catchment through nature-based solutions that support both communities and nationally significant infrastructure.

Why is this needed? / Why are we doing this?

The Lower Gowy catchment is increasingly vulnerable to flooding, water management pressures and habitat fragmentation. Strategic infrastructure and internationally important environmental sites within the catchment require greater resilience as climate pressures intensify. 

The project has been designed to demonstrate how targeted investment in wetlands and natural infrastructure can reduce flood risk while delivering wider environmental and economic benefits. 

The scheme also supports the protection of key assets including Stanlow Oil Refinery and the Mersey Estuary RAMSAR site.

What is it going to deliver?

The project will deliver approximately 350 hectares of intervention across the catchment, including:

• Wetland creation
• Meadow habitat restoration
• Natural flood management measures
• Water storage and “slow the flow” interventions
• Biodiversity Net Gain habitat creation
• Improved ecological connectivity
• Increased climate resilience for strategic infrastructure
• Opportunities for future investment through biodiversity and water markets 

The programme will create approximately 50 hectares of wetland habitat as part of the wider catchment restoration approach. 

Intervention:

LNRS Priorities and Actions / LNP Goals:

This project aligns with the following Cheshire Local Nature Partnership goals: 

Tatton Landscape Recovery Scheme

What is it?

A large-scale landscape recovery project focused on woodland creation, regenerative agriculture, and water quality improvements, designed to generate revenue from carbon and biodiversity markets.

The Tatton Landscape Recovery Scheme is a large-scale natural infrastructure and landscape recovery programme focused on restoring ecological resilience across the Tatton Estate and surrounding landscapes in Cheshire. 

The project combines woodland creation, regenerative agriculture, water quality improvements and habitat restoration to create a connected landscape that delivers long-term environmental and economic value. The programme has been designed to generate revenue opportunities through carbon markets, biodiversity net gain (BNG) and wider ecosystem service investment. 

Key interventions include the creation of woodland and riparian planting, regenerative farming practices, habitat enhancement and water management measures designed to improve resilience to climate and environmental pressures.  

Why is this needed? / Why are we doing this?

Cheshire’s landscapes face increasing pressure from climate change, water quality challenges, biodiversity loss and changing agricultural demands. There is growing recognition that natural infrastructure must play a greater role in supporting environmental resilience, economic growth and sustainable land management.

The Tatton Landscape Recovery Scheme has been developed to demonstrate how nature recovery can operate at landscape scale while supporting productive farming, improving water resilience and creating investable environmental outcomes.

The programme also supports the transition towards lower input, regenerative land management practices while strengthening ecological connectivity across the wider landscape.

What is it going to deliver?

The programme will deliver a wide range of environmental and resilience outcomes across woodland, water and biodiversity. 

Key delivery areas include: 

• Woodland creation and riparian planting, including approximately 34,000 trees  
• Restoration and enhancement of 13km of waterways 
• Natural flood management and “slow the flow” interventions 
• Regenerative agriculture across approximately 40 hectares 
• Hedgerow creation and habitat connectivity improvements 
• Conservation-focused planting including rare black poplar trees 
• Biodiversity Net Gain habitat delivery through the Rostherne Mere Habitat Bank  
• Long-term carbon sequestration opportunities 
• Improved water quality and reduced diffuse pollution runoff  

The project has already secured approximately £48 million of investment towards delivery and associated environmental infrastructure.  

Intervention:

LNRS Priorities and Actions / LNP Goals:

This project aligns with the following Cheshire Local Nature Partnership goals: