Shrewsbury hill saved for public wins £16,000 for nature project
More than £16,000 has been awarded to one of Shropshire's landmarks after a hard-fought local campaign to save it.
Shropshire Wildlife Trust was today celebrating after it scooped a cash award to improve access to wildlife on Pontesford Hill, which sits on the outskirts of Shrewsbury in Pontesbury.
The trust has been given £16,275, from ethical funding organisation the Sita Trust, for work towards a project named Accessing Nature on Pontesford Hill and Earl's Hill nature reserve.
Sara Pearce, development officer for Shropshire Wildlife Trust said: "We're delighted to be awarded this grant.
"Making Pontesford Hill accessible to people is absolutely integral to the whole project and this award will make that possible."
The project will help more people to explore the wildlife on the recently formed Pontesford Hill and Earl's Hill nature reserve. And it will also see volunteers help improve four kilometres of pathways, install 100 steps and replace stiles with easy-access gates and latches.
The work will also install new signage and interpretation, and improve the car park which has been funded by Heritage Lottery Fund and supported by the Stiperstones & Corndon Landscape Partnership Scheme.
The Friends of Pontesford Hill will lead most of the work and be supported by Shropshire Council's rights of way team working as contractors.
Marianne Ivin, of Sita, said: "This project was supported through our Accessing Nature Fund and is one of many projects that will see better access for the public to some of the best nature reserves, parks and natural open spaces that England has to offer.
"Sita Trust provides grants through the Landfill Communities Fund. This important source of funding has been available since 1997 and has provided such worthy projects with more than £1.4 billion."
Pontesford Hill was last year bought for Shropshire Wildlife Trust by the community group Friends of Pontesford Hill.
Fundraisers generated £265,000 in the first half of last year to make sure the hill would be open and accessible for generations to come.
There were plans to build a replica iron age fort roundhouse and amphitheatre on the hill, along with a green burial site, but the plans failed to get permission.
It sits next to Shropshire Wildlife Trust's oldest nature reserve, Earl's Hill, which was acquired by the organisation in 1962.
