ODPM awards £2.3m to East of England properties

National Trust

The National Trust is delighted to be a member of two successful partnerships, working alongside Bedfordshire County Council and Cambridgeshire County Council, that have recently been awarded £1.5m towards improving and protecting Dunstable Downs in Bedfordshire and £800,000 for a project to extend Wicken Fen in Cambridgeshire.

The awards have been granted by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) as part of the Government’s £63m plan to create and enhance recreation and leisure areas for the proposed new housing developments in the South East.

Dunstable Downs will be the natural focus and attraction for the enlarged residential and business community proposed for Luton, Dunstable and Houghton Regis. Dunstable Downs currently attract between 500,000 and 750,000 visitors per year but has only basic and inadequate visitor facilities.

ODPM funding will contribute towards the provision of new flagship facilities to accommodate additional visitors resulting from the nearby growth. These new funds will also allow for the restoration and effective management of the chalk downland and the creation of new recreational open space through the relocation of car parking facilities.

Proposed developments include the creation of education facilities, a cafe, information panels, footpaths and cyclepaths.

Wicken Fen, the oldest nature reserve in the country, is famous for its rich plant, insect and bird life and will make use of the £800,000 by creating new freshwater wetland habitats and footpaths.

More than 35,000 people visit Wicken Fen every year, including local school groups, families and conservationists. The Wicken Fen project will also provide additional recreational opportunities for the people of Cambridgeshire, where there is limited access to public land.

Peter Griffiths, National Trust Director for the East of England, explains: "the generous contribution from the ODPM is a major boost for the Trust’s work at Wicken Fen. It will not only safeguard and enhance this precious pocket of our natural history but will help to provide open spaces for the people of Cambridgeshire."

"The grant of £1.5m for Dunstable Downs is an exciting opportunity to improve this popular viewpoint for visitors. The National Trust looks forward to developing the visitor facilities with Bedfordshire County Council."

The National Trust would also like to thank both Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire County Councils for their hard work to secure these grants.

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