A former golf course on the Lincolnshire coast has been transformed into a 30-hectare wetland nature reserve following a six-year restoration project backed by \u00a33.7m of public and private funding.<\/p>\n
Sandilands, near Mablethorpe and Sutton-on-Sea, has officially opened to the public after extensive landscaping and habitat creation led by the National Trust.<\/p>\n
The site, which was previously dominated by golf course fairways, now features a network of wetlands, grassland and coastal scrub alongside boardwalks and walking trails.<\/p>\n
New visitor facilities include a caf\u00e9, additional car parking, changing place facilities and a community space.<\/p>\n
Newark-based Influence Landscape Planning & Design acted as lead consultant and landscape architects on the project, working with the National Trust and wider project team to develop the new landscape.<\/p>\n
Sandilands sits within the Lincolnshire Coastal Country Park and forms part of the East Coast Flyway, a major migration route used by thousands of birds travelling along the UK\u2019s east coast between Arctic and northern European breeding grounds and wintering areas further south.<\/p>\n
Harry Bowell, director of land and nature at the National Trust, said: \u201cThis project reflects our ambition to create places where people and nature can thrive together.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom fairways to flyways, by restoring habitats, improving access to green space and inspiring people to engage with the natural world, Sandilands shows how restoring nature can create inspiring places for people to spend time and connect with the outdoors.\u201d<\/p>\n
The reserve forms part of a wider network of coastal habitats including beaches, dunes, grazing marshes, saltmarsh, coastal lagoons and reedbeds.<\/p>\n
The National Trust said the new reserve will provide a link between other sites managed by organisations including Natural England, Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust and the RSPB, creating a wider network of habitats for wildlife.<\/p>\n
Its location on the edge of Mablethorpe and Sutton-on-Sea will also provide local residents with increased access to nature.<\/p>\n
The project received \u00a32m of Towns Fund investment through Connected Coast via East Lindsey District Council, alongside \u00a31.5m from National Highways and \u00a3200,000 through the UK Government Shared Prosperity Fund.<\/p>\n
Shona Hatton, director at Influence Landscape Planning & Design, said: \u201cThe opening of Sandilands Nature Reserve marks an exciting milestone, not only for the National Trust but for everyone who has contributed to bringing this ambitious vision to life.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are incredibly proud to have worked alongside the National Trust and the wider consultant team to help transform a former golf course into a thriving coastal wetland reserve.<\/p>\n
\u201cSandilands demonstrates how thoughtful, sustainable design can create lasting benefits for wildlife, visitors and local communities, ensuring this special landscape can be enjoyed for generations to come.\u201d<\/p>\n
The project was led by the National Trust with support from Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust, the RSPB, community groups and volunteers.
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National Trust project turns 30-hectare site into coastal wetlands, grassland and scrub after six years of planning and restoration<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":2115824,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[127687],"coauthors":[95],"class_list":["post-2115823","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-regeneration","tag-leicestershire"],"yoast_head":"\n