The farmer-led Evenlode Landscape Recovery project has secured more than £3 million in initial investment from major infrastructure partners to deliver nature-based flood management across the Cotswolds.
Network Rail, Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks and Oxfordshire County Council are working with the North East Cotswold Farmer Cluster to restore habitats across the Evenlode catchment in Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire and Warwickshire.
The partnerships aim to protect rail lines, electricity substations, bridges and roads from increasing flood risk. More than 3,000 hectares of habitat will be restored by over 50 farmers through the creation of woodland, meadows and wetlands on less productive land that regularly experiences flooding or drought.
The investment forms part of a blended finance model that directs public and private funding to farmers, who will carry out and maintain the work for at least 20 years. The Evenlode Landscape Recovery project is backed by more than £100 million from Natural England and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Tim Field, Executive Director of Evenlode Landscape Recovery, said: “This partnership marks a new chapter in how we think about flood prevention and asset protection. By working with Network Rail, SSEN and Oxfordshire County Council we’re supporting infrastructure resilience with practical changes on the ground.
“Farmers are uniquely placed to manage water at source. By restoring habitats and improving soil structure across the catchment, we can reduce flood risk downstream while strengthening farm businesses for the long term.”
Ryan Barrett, Weather Resilience and Climate Adaptation Programme Manager at Network Rail, said: “In this area the railway crosses the Evenlode River 27 times, creating multiple pinch points where flooding can disrupt services.
“Investing in natural flood management gives us an opportunity to reduce risk before it reaches the railway and we are looking forward to working with ELR on our key risk areas to make the railway line more resilient now and into the future.”
Chris Bratt, Director of Asset Management at SSEN, said: “We have critical electricity infrastructure in the Evenlode catchment, including substations that must remain operational during extreme weather.
“By investing in nature-based solutions upstream, we can reduce long-term flood risk to these assets. This proactive approach strengthens network resilience and, over time, helps avoid costs that would otherwise eventually end up being passed on to customers.”
Councillor Judy Roberts, Cabinet Member for Place, Environment and Climate Action at Oxfordshire County Council, said: “Oxfordshire County Council has been delighted to support the development of the flagship Evenlode Landscape Recovery project. It addresses pressing local issues like flood management, contributes directly to Oxfordshire’s Local Nature Recovery Strategy, and demonstrates that climate action, nature recovery and a thriving rural economy go hand in hand.”
Tim Coates, a participating farmer and Managing Director of Evenlode Landscape Recovery, said: “Achieving nature restoration at scale alongside continuing food production is only possible through the collaboration of farmers working together, supported by both government and the private sector to fund and pay for the implementation of nature-based solutions that protect key infrastructure assets, protect communities from flooding and maintain a productive and beautiful landscape.
“These sorts of public-private partnerships can provide innovative blended finance that encourages farmers to manage their land for resilience, nature and food security.”
