Restoring the Pennine Fringe

What is it?

Restoring the Pennine Fringe is a landscape-scale upland restoration programme focused on creating a connected and resilient landscape across Cheshire’s upland fringe where wildlife, farming and natural processes can thrive together.

The Pennine Fringe landscape includes steep-sided cloughs, heather moorland, fast-flowing streams and ancient hay meadows. Decades of agricultural intensification, peatland drainage and habitat loss have reduced biodiversity, weakened water resilience and increased flooding and poor water quality downstream.

Cheshire Wildlife Trust is leading a long-term programme to restore habitats and natural hydrology across the uplands through agroforestry, natural flood management and habitat restoration. The project builds on more than 20 years of experience working with landowners and communities across the landscape.

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

The Pennine Fringe plays an important role in water regulation, carbon storage, biodiversity and downstream flood resilience across Cheshire.

Historic land management changes have fragmented habitats, reduced species diversity and weakened the landscape’s ability to naturally manage water and store carbon. Important upland species, including breeding wading birds such as curlew and lapwing, have experienced significant declines.

This project has been developed to restore ecological function across the uplands while supporting sustainable farming, improving water quality and strengthening resilience to climate change.

What is it going to deliver?

By 2030, the project will deliver:

• Restoration and creation of peatland habitats
• Native woodland creation and expansion
• Wetland creation including ponds and scrapes
• Restoration of botanically rich species-rich grasslands
• Habitat connectivity between fragmented upland habitats
• Agroforestry and sustainable land management support
• Improved nesting and foraging habitat for wading birds
• Natural flood management interventions
• Improved water quality and hydrological resilience
• Land acquisition to create larger cohesive habitat areas
• Increased biodiversity and climate resilience

The programme aims to restore a resilient upland landscape that delivers environmental, hydrological and farming benefits together.

Landscape Placeholder
Cheshire Wildlife Trust

Estimated Cost:
£3,779,195

Project Location:
Pennine Fringe, Cheshire.
Area Covered:
Upland landscapes across the Cheshire Pennine Fringe. 

Local Authority Area:
Cheshire East.

How Long is the Programme:
Phased delivery programme to 2030 and beyond.

Lead Partner:

Cheshire Wildlife Trust
Project Partners:
Partnership delivery model currently in development with landowners, farming businesses, conservation organisations and environmental stakeholders.

Why Invest Now?

• Growing pressure on upland landscapes from climate and land-use change
• Strong opportunity to deliver natural flood management at landscape scale
• Increasing focus on peatland carbon and water resilience investment
• Supports sustainable farming transition and ecosystem resilience
• Significant biodiversity and water quality co-benefits
• Long-term climate adaptation and natural capital value

Impact and Returns:

Environmental & Climate.Returns

  • Peatland restoration supporting long-term carbon storage
  • Improved water quality across upland catchments
  • Increased biodiversity and ecological connectivity
  • Habitat restoration for curlew, lapwing and upland species
  • Expansion of native woodland and species-rich grassland habitats

Flood Water & Resilience Returns

  • Natural flood management benefits for downstream communities
  • Restored hydrology and improved water retention
  • Reduced runoff and erosion pressures
  • Increased resilience to extreme rainfall events

Farming & Landscape Returns

  • Support for sustainable upland farming systems
  • Agroforestry integration and land resilience
  • Long-term ecosystem service benefits
  • Improved landscape-scale environmental resilience

LNRS Priorities and Actions / LNP Goals:

LNRS priority species supported through the project include:
• Lapwing
LNRS reintroductions supported through the project include:
• Clubiona norvegica (spider)
• Gnaphosa leporina (spider)

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

Goal One

Increase contribution of nature-based solutions to address the ecological and climate crises.

Goal Three

Increase value of investment into nature.

Goal Four

Mainstream nature recovery to ensure Cheshire becomes nature positive by 2030.

F1

G2.1

W1.3

G1.1

G2.4

Back to Investment Projects

GET INVOLVED

Contact the Cheshire Nature Local Partnership

>

Invest in nature

Are you looking for opportunities to invest in nature or natural capital strategically across Cheshire?

R

Offset your carbon impact

Need to offset your carbon impact locally or acquire Biodiversity Net Gain units for development and large infrastructure projects?

}

Corporate opportunities for volunteering

Need corporate opportunities for volunteering or does you wish to adopt a nature recovery project or community action?

We can help you find opportunities the right opportunities across Cheshire. Contact us today to get involved in the Local Nature Partnership or to find out more.

CONTACT US