Launched by Defra in May 2026, the Wildlife Rich Habitat Fund will support wildlife-rich habitat creation or restoration projects within the Yorkshire Dales National Park.
Restoring nature
Goal 1 of the government’s Environmental Improvement Plan is Restored Nature – with a network of bigger, better and more resilient habitats that will help nature thrive. An interim target (Commitment 10) is to restore or create a total of 250,000 hectares of a range of wildlife-rich habitats outside of protected sites by December 2030.
Our budget is confirmed for 2026/27 and we expect to receive funding for a further two years (to 31 March 2029). We will be working with a number of delivery partners to implement environmental improvements at scale – but please get in touch if you have ideas for projects that will deliver wildlife-rich habitat creation or restoration within our funding period.
Eligibility criteria
- Actions must take place outside of protected sites (e.g. SSSIs, SPAs, SACs) on land within the Yorkshire Dales National Park boundary.
- Actions must increase the extent of wildlife-rich habitat, with the focus on creating new wildlife-rich habitat (i.e. not maintenance/enhancement of existing habitat, nor changing one type of wildlife-rich habitat into another). Note that degraded habitats may be eligible if these no longer function naturally to support that habitat’s typical flora and fauna (e.g. hydrological restoration of previously drained peatland, or habitat improvement and removal of non-native tree species within ancient woodland sites [PAWS] may be eligible).
- Actions must be sufficient to create habitat at the quality specified in Natural England’s target guidance document.
The Wildlife Rich Habitat Fund is specifically for habitat creation/restoration, but consideration should be given to the use of agri-environment funds for future maintenance of habitats. The fund is separate to, but administered by, FiPL.
FAQs
Q: What types of land are eligible?
A: Land that is currently classified as: Improved or semi-improved grassland; species-poor acid grassland; coniferous woodland; woodland with less than 70% broadleaved species; non-native woodland; species-poor scrubland; bracken; species-poor rivers, lakes or ponds; degraded peat. Other land types may be eligible – contact us to check.
Q: Is any land within the Yorkshire Dales National Park not eligible?
A: SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest), SAC (Special Area of Conservation) or existing priority habitat is not eligible.
Q: I have land outside the National Park boundary – is this fund only for land within the National Park?
A: In certain circumstances, land outside the boundary may be eligible. Please contact us with details of your land and project ideas.
Q: What counts as “wildlife-rich” habitat?
A: Examples in the Yorkshire Dales National Park include: hay meadows and species-rich grasslands; wetlands, ponds, rivers and floodplain habitats; peatlands and bogs; native woodland and scrub; hedgerows; traditional orchards. Other resulting habitats may be eligible and a full list is available from Defra – or contact us to check.
Q: Can I restore existing habitat?
A: Restoration is eligible where the habitat is currently degraded and the project will return it to a wildlife-rich condition.
Q: What can the grant be spent on?
A: Any capital works required to create habitat, for example: fencing; planting and seeding; earthworks; pond or wetland creation; habitat establishment works. Some project-related costs (such as surveys or feasibility work) may be included if these directly support habitat creation.
The Wildlife Rich Habitat Fund would match existing rates available through other Defra grant schemes (e.g. FG2 sheep netting @£7.47/m). Quotes must be obtained for items that do not have equivalent rates and the grant contribution (intervention rate) is item-specific (to be advised at application stage); this might not always be 100%.
Match funding is encouraged; grant payment is made in arrears.
Q: What activities are not eligible?
A: Land management revenue payments or compensation payments are not eligible – nor are activities relating to maintenance or routine management of existing wildlife-rich habitat.
Q: When must works be completed? When can I start?
A: If your application is successful, you will receive a contract with information on project dates. Works must ordinarily be complete by the end of the financial year. No works can be undertaken or items purchased until the contract start date.
Multi-year agreements will be considered.
Q: Does the habitat need to be fully established?
A: No; however, all key actions needed to create the habitat must be completed and there must be clear indicators that actions will result in the successful development of the habitat.
How to apply
Get in touch with landgrants@yorkshiredales.org.uk or call Isabel 07977 996111 or Jonny 07811 939 236 to discuss your project idea and eligibility for the Wildlife Rich Habitat Fund.
Expression of interest form | Please complete and return this form so that we can undertake desk-based constraints checks and contact you to discuss your project prior to application.
Application form | This form will need to be completed to apply for a Wildlife Rich Habitat Fund grant – it should be submitted with the project costs table and quotes or other supporting documents.
Application project costs table | This summary of costs will need to be submitted with the application form (see above).