Last updated: June 2024
Coal mining in the Dearne Valley damaged the Dearne Valley landscape. To address these problems the Dearne Valley Green Heart partnership was formed in 2006, but the intervention discussed here is specifically related to the developments between 2012 and 2015, when it was founded as a Nature Improvement Area. It is part of the South Yorkshire Delivery Programme and part of the Doncaster Council as also being part of the Doncaster Green Infrastructure Strategy (Ref 1, 2).
RSPB
https://www.rspb.org.uk/our-work/conservation/landscape-scale-conservation/sites/dearne-valley-green-heart/
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Blue infrastructure
- Rivers/streams/canals/estuaries
- In-land wetlands, peatlands, swamps, and moors
- Parks and urban forests
- Large urban parks or forests
Key challenges
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Habitat and biodiversity conservation
- Green space creation and/or management
- Regeneration, land-use and urban development
- Promote natural styles of landscape design for urban development
- Water management (SDG 6)
- Flood protection
- Cultural heritage and cultural diversity
- Protection of historic and cultural landscape/infrastructure
- Economic development and employment (SDG 8)
- Tourism support
Focus
Creation of new green areas, Maintenance and management of urban nature, Ecological restoration of ecosystems, Transformation of previously derelict areas
Project objectives
The project aimed to reclaim the old industrial areas, restore the river floodplain, improve access for the community, create wetland habitats and manage peak water flows to prevent floods.
As well as widen community access to the Dearne Valley; to improve flood- and peak water flow management; to create wetland habitats and woodlands to deliver benefits to biodiversity (Ref 1); to boost a green economy in the surrounding towns (Ref 3).
Implementation activities
1. Create wetland and woodland area sand other good quality habitats by reclaiming industrial areas, 2. Create habitat corridors, 3. Create habitat specifically suitable for Riparian Mammal species (Ref 3), 4. Frame the landscape with forest following the line of the valley edges, 5. Create a mosaic of wetland habitats (Ref 1).
Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities
Biodiversity conservation:
- Protect and enhance urban habitats
- Preserve and strengthen existing habitats and ecosystems
- Promote environmentally-sound development in and around protected areas
- Create new habitats
- Reduce negative impacts and avoid the alteration/damage of ecosystem
- Protect species
- Undertake specific measures to protect species
- Undertake specific measures to protect valued species
- Control and clean invasive alien species
- Means for conservation governance
- Biodiversity offsets
- Public engagement
- Create and use scientific knowledge for conservation
Main beneficiaries
- Citizens or community groups
Governance
Management set-up
- Co-governance with government and non-government actors
Type of initiating organisation
- Non-government organisation/civil society
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Dissemination of information and education
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
Yorkshire Wildlife Trust works together with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) to monitor different Riparian Mammal species. The entire area is owned by members of the Dearne Valley Green Heart partnership (Ref 3).
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
Yes
(The eco-vision that is part of the intervention is a response to the EU Directives related to holistic habitat and catchment area management (Ref 2))
... a national policy or strategy?
Yes
(The Access of Rights Of Way (Ref 2); the national Nature Improvement Area scheme (Ref 2 + 6); national Biodiversity Action Plan targets (Ref 5). )
... a local policy or strategy?
Yes
(The South Yorkshire Green Infrastructure Delivery Programme of 2013 (Ref 1) mentions this intervention as key to achieving its goals. )
Financing
Total cost
€2,000,000 - €4,000,000
Source(s) of funding
- Public national budget
- Other
Type of funding
- Earmarked public budget
- Other
Non-financial contribution
Unknown
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Water management and blue areas
- Increased protection against flooding
- Green space and habitat
- Promotion of naturalistic styles of landscape design for urban development
- Increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems
- Increased ecological connectivity across regeneration sites and scales
- Reduced biodiversity loss
- Increased number of species present
Economic impacts
- Increase of green jobs (e.g. paid employment positions)
- Attraction of business and investment
Socio-cultural impacts
- Cultural heritage and sense of place
- Protection of historic and cultural landscape / infrastructure
- Education
- Increased support for education and scientific research
- Increased awareness of NBS and their benefits
Type of reported impacts
Achieved impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Yes
Presence of indicators used in reporting
Yes
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
Yes
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
Yes
References
Ref 1: South Yorkshire green infrastructure delivery programme
Ref 2: RSPB (n.d.) Futurescapes: Dearne Valley Green Heart. Retrieved from Source link on 28th October, 2020.
Ref 3: Yorkshire Wildlife Trust (n.d.) Dearne Valley Conservation. Retrieved from Source link on 28th October, 2020.
Ref 4: Dodd, N., Brown, J., & Sampson, J. (2009). Dearne Valley Eco-Vision. Sheffield: The Source. Retrieved from Source link on 28th October, 2020.
Ref 5: RSPB. (nd.). Dearne Valley Green Heart. Retrieved from Source link on 28th October, 2020.
Ref 6: HM Government. (2012). Natural environment white paper implementation update. Retrieved from Source link on 28th October, 2020.
Ref 7: Yorkshire Wildlife Trust. (2016). NIA best practice network February 2016 - 3c. Dearne Valley Green Heart NIA update.
Ref 8: Natural England. (2015). Monitoring and evaluation of Nature Improvement Areas: Final report (2012-2015).
Ref 9: RSPB. (2013). Dearne Valley Green Heart Nature Improvement Area celebrates 1st anniversary. Retrieved from Source link 28th October, 2020.
Ref 10: HLF. (n.d.). About us. Retrieved from Source link on 28th October, 2020.
Ref 2: RSPB (n.d.) Futurescapes: Dearne Valley Green Heart. Retrieved from Source link on 28th October, 2020.
Ref 3: Yorkshire Wildlife Trust (n.d.) Dearne Valley Conservation. Retrieved from Source link on 28th October, 2020.
Ref 4: Dodd, N., Brown, J., & Sampson, J. (2009). Dearne Valley Eco-Vision. Sheffield: The Source. Retrieved from Source link on 28th October, 2020.
Ref 5: RSPB. (nd.). Dearne Valley Green Heart. Retrieved from Source link on 28th October, 2020.
Ref 6: HM Government. (2012). Natural environment white paper implementation update. Retrieved from Source link on 28th October, 2020.
Ref 7: Yorkshire Wildlife Trust. (2016). NIA best practice network February 2016 - 3c. Dearne Valley Green Heart NIA update.
Ref 8: Natural England. (2015). Monitoring and evaluation of Nature Improvement Areas: Final report (2012-2015).
Ref 9: RSPB. (2013). Dearne Valley Green Heart Nature Improvement Area celebrates 1st anniversary. Retrieved from Source link 28th October, 2020.
Ref 10: HLF. (n.d.). About us. Retrieved from Source link on 28th October, 2020.