The saltmarsh and brackish habitats of North Norfolk support as many or more priority species than comparable coastal area in England and Wales (except the Solent maritime marshes). The area has national/international conservation importance for a variety of coastal habitats. The Wash and North Norfolk Coast Marine Protected Area Network contains 3 SPAs and 1 SAC; and the Norfolk Coast AONB contains 6 NNRs, 28 SSSIs, 1 LNR and 85 CWS. Scattered non-designated habitat patches in combination with these designated sites form island sanctuaries for nature within the wider agricultural landscape. The North Norfolk Coast also hosts the Rivers Burn, Stiffkey, Glaven and Hun which are internationally rare chalk streams. These were artificially straightened and suffer from poor river-floodplain connectivity and major river corridor encroachment by predominantly arable farming, resulting in degradation of surface and groundwater quality due to excessive nutrient and fine sediment inputs. In general terms, habitats along the North Norfolk coastline are well managed. However, attention has primarily been focussed on the ‘usual suspects’. Recent work by the University of East Anglia (UEA) has highlighted the need to diversify some existing management or create new adjacent habitats which will allow more obscure species to flourish. This transformative, landscape-scale project will be led by farmers and land managers, supported by a cross-sector public-private partnership. It takes a source to sea approach, extending inland to reconnect the North Norfolk coastal plain to the headwaters. Informed land-use change and management actions will deliver in the short-term diverse grazing marsh, a range of dry grasslands and scrub mosaics as well as restoring c70 ha of former sand dune via the considered removal of Corsican pine. In the longer term this will also enable the coastal plain to function as a fully dynamic environment as sea levels rise and saline/brackish habitats roll landwards and up the river valleys. Benefits could include the creation of inland freshwater habitat to compensate for coastal freshwater habitat reclaimed by the sea. It will improve species migration and colonisation opportunities, enhance biodiversity, improve water quality, increase climate change resilience and connect visitors and local communities to the natural world around them. This project is one of additionality. The objective is to create a wide range of differing habitat types and conditions which favour a diverse array of protected species. Essentially, three core deliverables target species recovery and river corridor restoration:

• New grazing marsh and freshwater habitats in the coastal plain
• New, drier semi-natural areas: grass-scrub mosaics across the area
• Restore naturally functioning, river-floodplain corridors and associated freshwater wetland mosaics for the four chalk rivers as well as 70ha of former sand dune

As well as consideration of scarcity, attention will be given to habitats and management which boost abundance of more common species. Once established, new habitats will be managed in a diverse manner in order to maximise niche availability and provide a range of sward structures, successional stages and plant assemblages. The use of livestock will be key to the management of some areas and the project will seek to utilize rare breeds of stock where possible. More widely, the project will also support land managers to identify opportunities and develop site-specific plans for other land management initiatives, new habitat areas, connections, buffer zones and pollinator networks. The project will consider species reintroductions where appropriate. The most obvious being that of Beaver in the Glaven and Stiffkey catchments (Hun and Burn being less favourable) . This approach is shaped by a Natural Capital Evidence Compendium, providing an inventory of natural assets in the region and the current/future risks they face. This project delivers against multiple Compendium priorities including sustainable land management, carbon sequestration, partnership working to increase species richness and abundance, and ecological resilience through improving habitat connectivity and enabling species migration in coastal areas. Importantly, these studies are supported by farmers and land managers in the area. They are aware of opportunities to deliver new habitat on their land and are excited to participate in this project to deliver tangible outcomes on the ground. Options to safeguard these outcomes could include a new/expanded designation (potential NNR), public rights of access or a conservation covenant (to be explored further if successful). We will monitor progress/success towards these outcomes by measuring:

• Area of land/water supporting new habitat or species
• Area of natural habitats joined up as wildlife corridors
• Area of active floodplain habitat restored and associated reduced negative impacts of riverine floods
• Carbon budget assessments and actions implemented to reduce greenhouse gas emissions Improvements to soil health
• Water quality improvements in EA and other data

This project is located within the Norfolk Coast AONB and supports the Management Plan via:

• Implementation of a landscape-scale Nature Recovery Plan
• Land use decisions considering natural capital and ecosystem services
• Designated sites in favourable condition and under effective management
• Reversing declines in ‘at risk’ habitats and species
• Improving networks of walking and cycling routes

It supports the North Norfolk Coast NCA (NE488) statements of environmental opportunity:

• Increase in wetland habitat with conversion from arable farmland
• Expanding species-rich saltmarsh, reversion of arable land to coastal wetland
• Coast protection function e.g. salt marsh creation for carbon capture
• Improving coastal access for walking and cycling

It aligns with the principles of Nature Recovery by creating 1425 ha of additional wildlife-rich habitat to link already protected sites, providing more, diverse and better-connected habitats. It supports wider benefits through carbon capture, flood management, clean water, pollination and recreation. It supports the River Basin Management Plan (North Norfolk Rivers) by addressing physical modifications, pollution and changes to the natural flow of four chalk streams in the area. It also compliments Catchment Sensitive Farming and FiPL.

For more information please email aonb@norfolk.gov.uk