On the 3rd of February the cluster held its first event of the year. The group welcomed cluster member’s, river keepers and river experts to discuss the issues affecting the health of the River Itchen and its catchment area and what steps can landowners do to help reduce their impact on the river.
The Winchester Downs Cluster is keen to work with the local community as a combined effort to improve the health of the Itchen.
Speakers included:
Teresa Dent from the Environmental Farmers Group (EFG) on examples of successful river health projects on the Hampshire Avon and what benefits a similar project could look like on the Itchen.
Martin Burton from The Upper Itchen Restoration Community Interest Company on the health and state of the river Itchen, threats to the river and impacts of drought stress on chalk streams. Upper Itchen Restoration
We also welcomed representatives from New Leaf Alresford to hear how the local community are supporting environmental improvements New Leaf Alresford
Cluster Members can find out more detail from the event in the Members area of the website. Members-area previous-events
As announced in earlier in January, Farming in Protected Landscapes fund (or FiPL) is expected to return in 2026. The scheme supports rural communities to enhance nature, diversify business and protect the environment.
In previous rounds, landowners in the Winchester Downs area have received support for hedges and hedge restoration, educational training and equipment for school visits, habitat mapping, and farm equipment for greener farming and maintaining priority habitats.
Visit the link below for more detail.
https://www.southdowns.gov.uk/custodians/farming/farming-in-protected-landscapes-fipl/
