£1 million plan to enhance countryside near Marlborough begins
Funding sought to tackle pylon impact and restore landscapes
North Wessex Downs National Landscape has taken the initial step towards enhancing the countryside south of Marlborough with their application for £1 million from the National Grid’s Landscape Enhancement Initiative.
The focus of the initiative is to reduce the visual impact of pylons, specifically in the area between Burbage and Vernham Dean, located on the Wiltshire/Hampshire border.
This region encompasses 20 farms and includes landscapes around Tidcombe and Foscombe, the Graftons, as well as Wiltshire’s renowned Wilton Windmill landmark.
If successful, the project will create nearly a mile of hedgerow and plant disease-resistant elms.
Additionally, plans include the restoration and enhancement of 13 hectares of species-rich meadow and the planting of over three hectares of broadleaf woodland.
Efforts will also be made to dig or restore 10 new ponds and establish half a mile of new footpaths to improve public access to green spaces.
Specific species, such as willow tit, great crested newts, corn bunting, reed bunting, elm trees, and dormice, will be targeted for recovery, alongside arable plants like pheasants’ eye, broadleaved cudweed, and red hemp nettle.
The North Wessex Downs National Landscape covers areas in Wiltshire, Hampshire, West Berkshire, and Oxfordshire, with 40% of its Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty located in Wiltshire. Wiltshire Council serves as the “host authority,” overseeing the organisation's work.
Councillors expressed unanimous support for the funding application at a recent Wiltshire Council Cabinet meeting. However, Cllr Paul Sample, cabinet member for the environment, clarified that the project would not involve burying high voltage electricity cables or dismantling pylons.
A separate project removing pylons around Roundway Hill, near Devizes, is currently in its third year, costing Ofgem nearly £70 million. North Wessex Downs National Landscape is a partner in this scheme.