Thanks to a partnership between Horsham District Council, Creative Waves Community Arts and many volunteers, high streets in seven market towns and villages across Horsham District last year were transformed in an exciting Rewilding initiative.
Funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)’s Welcome Back Fund, local communities worked together to deliver the projects, seeking environmental benefits through thoughtful planting and awareness-raising as well as positive local economic impacts by boosting interest in our high streets.
Activities ranged from community planting days and children’s activities to wildlife sculptures and artwork and one year on the results of all this hard work is clear to see.
Lintot Square, Southwater
One of the key projects took place at Southwater’s Lintot Square.
Nancy Brock of the Southwater Horticultural Society, who worked with the Southwater Community Partnership, local professional gardening company Wendy’s Gardening and local volunteers, commented:
“It’s been over a year since our army of planters, diggers, waterers and grafters transformed Lintot Square.
We are so pleased with the results of this wildlife-friendly replanting project and hope it inspires other communities to work together to support their local high streets.”
Plants for Lintot Square were carefully selected to:
- Encourage biodiversity by introducing habitats and forage for pollinators,
- Provide hibernation places, such as hollow stems and seed heads, for invertebrates,
- Be drought resistant,
- Enhance the wildlife corridor effect between the Downslink and Southwater Country Park,
- Need only minimum regular maintenance e.g. pruning, staking, watering,
- Create a colourful seasonal planting scheme through the use of flowering perennials, and grasses to encourage shoppers to make repeat visits.
Signs and display boards highlighted the work that was completed, widening the outreach to the general public and hopefully inspiring them to create green spaces in their own urban landscape.
Photo credit: John Parsons
Wilder Horsham District funding
We have established a Nature Recovery Award with the Sussex Wildlife Trust which offers grant funding to support practical schemes to support wildlife networks across the District. The next funding round will open Monday 3 July 2023 and will close Thursday 31 August 2023.