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£13m bid could fund decade of conservation work in national park

24 Sep 2026 2 minute read

Castlemartin Corse. Photo Pembrokeshire Coast National Park webcast.

Bruce Sinclair, Local Democracy Reporter

A bid for almost £13m to fund a decade of large-scale nature restoration has taken a significant step forward after national park members agreed to back its development.

Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority members approved £135,000 in match funding towards developing the Pembrokeshire Landscape Connections project at a meeting on September 23.

The proposed project, being developed jointly by the authority and National Trust Cymru, aims to secure £12.9m from the Heritage Lottery Fund for conservation work across the national park.

It would focus on restoring habitats, improving connections between areas important for wildlife and encouraging nature-friendly land management.

St Davids and Castlemartin would be the first areas targeted because of their protected sites, opportunities for landscape-scale nature recovery and existing partnerships.

A report to members said the project was designed to deliver “long-term landscape-scale nature recovery” across Pembrokeshire’s coastal landscapes.

It would bring landowners and conservation organisations together to create more resilient landscapes, while strengthening links between communities and their natural and cultural heritage.

The scheme would begin with a two-year development phase followed by eight years of delivery, with the aim of creating a model that could be used for similar landscape-scale partnerships elsewhere.

The Heritage Lottery Fund is investing around £150m in 20 projects across the UK, including schemes in national parks and areas of outstanding natural beauty.

The next application window is in November.

If the Pembrokeshire bid is successful, its development phase would run from June 2027 until May 2029, with the main delivery phase beginning in December 2029 and continuing until January 2038.

The delivery phase is expected to be worth £11.75m, including up to £10m from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The remaining funding would have to be secured through match funding, with the report saying a number of potential sources were being explored, including external fundraising.

A £100,000 reserve has already been set aside to help secure Heritage Lottery Fund support for the development phase.

Cllr Simon Hancock proposed approving the £135,000 contribution, which was backed by members.

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