Protecting Our White Cliffs Landscape
- 4 October 2012 13:23194188http://dover.gov.uk/news/press_releases/white_cliffs_landscape.aspx?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=facebook
Major news is celebrated from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) today, which means around a massive £2.5m funding is in place to help a local partnership protect the unique white cliffs landscape and world famous White Cliffs of Dover, involve communities, and conserve this amazing area for future generations.
HLF has confirmed an award of £1.64m, which, with match funding of £800,000 from local partners, will support a range of exciting projects by the White Cliffs Landscape Partnership to protect landscape and heritage and encourage community involvement.
This major success follows extensive work by the White Cliffs Landscape Partnership, working closely with local communities, and covers a landscape area of 12,000 ha of chalk downland around Dover and Folkestone.
A range of exciting initiatives as part of the 'Up On the Downs' project includes:
The building of an education shelter at Samphire Hoe, the newest part of Kent, which was created from chalk dug out to make the Channel Tunnel
Restoring chalk grassland and conservation work on key heritage features such as the remnants of military occupation
Initiatives to get local communities involved in conserving their local heritage, and an extensive programme of activities including themed talks, demonstrations and guided walks
Providing training and skills in heritage management and creative arts for young people - apprenticeships will be offered in Environmental Conservation for 16-18 year olds.
The Landscape Partnership involves a range of partners working together, including: Dover District Council, Shepway District Council, Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, White Cliffs Countryside Partnership, National Trust, Kent Wildlife Trust, Kent County Council, Eurotunnel, Dover Town Council, Pent Valley Technology College, National Farmers' Union, Canterbury Archaeological Trust and Kent Police.
Cllr Nicholas Kenton, DDC Cabinet Member for Environment said: "The white cliffs landscape is known around the world, and it is great to see the importance of this area recognised in this way. This award from the Heritage Lottery Fund is excellent news, and will provide a major boost to partnership work to support conservation and continue to preserve these internationally important chalk downlands for future generations."
Carole Souter, Chief Executive of the Heritage Lottery Fund, said: "The White Cliffs of Dover are one of the UK's most distinctive stretches of coastline, thanks in part to Dame Vera Lynn's famous wartime song. We're delighted to confirm our support for such an important Landscape Partnership project which will help conserve the area's distinctive white cliffs and chalk downlands and provide new opportunities for people to get out and learn more about this beautiful part of Kent."
Nick Johannsen, Chairman of the White Cliffs Landscape Partnership Board and Director of the Kent Downs AONB Unit said: "I am delighted that this Landscape Partnership Scheme has been approved, the Kent Downs AONB Unit led on the successful first stage application and it is excellent that Dover District Council has taken the baton and submitted the details which have secured this substantial project.
"The cliffs and chalk grassland around Dover and Folkestone are some of the most iconic landscapes in Britain. I am sure that the White Cliffs Landscape Partnership Scheme will bring a transformational change, and there will be five years of exciting work, involving a wide partnership; we look forward to it."
Notes to Editors
HLF's Landscape Partnerships (LP) are helping bring together members of the community as well as local, regional, and national organisations to deliver schemes which benefit some of the UK's most outstanding landscapes and rural communities. Grants currently range from £250,000 up to £2m. From 2013 this range changes to £100,000 up to £3m. The next closing date for LP applications is May 2013
Using money raised through the National Lottery, the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) sustains and transforms a wide range of heritage for present and future generations to take part in, learn from and enjoy. From museums, parks and historic places to archaeology, natural environment and cultural traditions, we invest in every part of our diverse heritage. HLF has supported 33,000 projects, allocating £4.9bn across the UK. For more information, please see the HLF website .
The White Cliffs Landscape Partnership involves a range of partners working together. The Partnership prepared a detailed bid for funding following news from HLF in 2010 of an earmarked 'first-round pass' for a local partnership project under the HLF Landscape Partnership programme. The white cliffs landscape is instantly recognisable, and covers an area of chalk downland around Dover and Folkestone, and a rich mosaic of habitats is found here, with orchids and butterflies being particularly plentiful
For more information on the White Cliffs Landscape Partnership, or the range of projects that are now moving forward, please see the Landscape page.Been nice knowing you :) - 4 October 2012 13:50194200best news i have heard in ages, congratulations to all the organisations that worked together to achieve that. saw paul sampson's vehicle up there earlier, he must have been celebrating.
bringing back the minibus service must be one of their aims, they lost a few volunteers when that went.
- 4 October 2012 16:17194229Major good news for the area - shame it doesn't get the comments unlike boring politics and world events that the people on here won't have any control over
Been nice knowing you :) - Jan Higgins
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,931
4 October 2012 19:26194269Good news for the area but being a pessimist about these sort of announcements, after they have built the education shelter at Samphire Hoe plus done a bit here and a bit there, how much will be left to help WHPS carry on their good work.-----------------------------------------------------------------------
I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
------------------------------------------------------------------- - 4 October 2012 19:44194274not a huge amount of money in itself but i suspect that a lot of the initiatives on education will spawn a new generation of volunteers, there will never be money available for a team of paid workers to carry out the essential tasks.
a replacement minibus would also pay for itself over a period of time by ferrying volunteers to places where work needs doing. - 4 October 2012 19:45194276Just spotted this, great news!
I know the team who have put this together (also met Howard catching up on them when they were displaying the project at the Discovery Centre earlier this year) and am sure it's going to be a great benefit to the district. And don't worry Jan, it's something that can be built on further, which I'm sure they're already thinking about.
Agree with you about the politics Paul (although I'm sometimes guilty of joining in myself out of frustration with the pointless rubbish that is being posted!). When I looked in earlier today, 8 out of the top 10 posts were on national politics, one on the politics of the port and the other on Jimmy Saville. - 4 October 2012 19:53194277depends when you log on ray, just looked and 3 out of the top 15 threads now are political.
don't forget that threads such as this and anything to do with wccp or whps don't get many replies. - 4 October 2012 19:56194280Let's keep it out of this one from now!
- 4 October 2012 20:01194281Nothing to do with WHPS Jan but it will certainly make a difference and a lot can be done with the money. WCCP has struggled the last few years and a lot of work has gone into this bid so I am sure they can do some great work over the next few years
Been nice knowing you :) - 4 October 2012 20:04194283should benefit whps though paul they mention conservation of remnants of military occupation.
- 4 October 2012 20:12194286Yes I am certain there will be elements of the Heights involved
Been nice knowing you :) - Jan Higgins
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,931
4 October 2012 22:26194309Exactly Howard, unless they are talking about some other area not covered by WHPS-----------------------------------------------------------------------
I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
------------------------------------------------------------------- - 4 October 2012 23:03194313Most of us agree heartily on the benefits of such initiatives as this. It's where there's disagreement that the threads get active and they tend to be the political ones, unfortunately.I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson
- 4 October 2012 23:14194314Sounds like good news although there are aspects which baffle me. The first is the apprenticeship scheme in environmental conservation. Seems like a non job to me but hey ho.
This is not me being anti-environmentalist but looking at what a job like that entails I find slightly odd.
The aims of the project, although worthy, seem very vague but I'm sure more detail would be useful to us all.
All in all it's nice to see money heading it's way to our area. - 4 October 2012 23:20194316Environmental conservation starts with separating your rubbish and putting it all in the correct bins, Philip.
I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson - 4 October 2012 23:23194317Agreed but does it take an apprenticeship in order to do it?
- 4 October 2012 23:27194318For those who are not sufficiently academic to get a degree in environmental science like my daughter has (brag, brag) an apprenticeship is just a perfect way to learn while you earn.I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson
- 5 October 2012 16:16194396Great news...will they finally put a walking link between the castle (I know not involved In the project) and Langdon cliffs so no more dodging tourists with my car?
Cable cart on the cards or would that go against conservation?
Keeps politics to myself - 5 October 2012 17:28194423Sorry I've not has chance to post before, but this have to be good news all round - for all the bodies linked to it and the areas they look after.
Roger - 5 October 2012 18:10194445There was no need to buy it,no way would they allow a farmer or anyone to build on the cliffes,and the farmer walks away with over £1million ,good luck to him,I would have done the same.
