Financial support from a Scottish Government nature initiative is set to boost ɬ’s drive to deliver net zero.
The Nature Restoration Fund supports large-scale, multi-partner projects delivering transformative changes to help nature recovery. Since 2021, ɬ Council has received £835,000 to aid climate friendly projects across the area. The latest 2025/26 allocation is £439,000.
The Fund focuses on projects that address the main causes of decline in biodiversity such as over-exploitation of the natural environment, habitat loss and invasive non-native species.
Major progress is already underway with a number of existing projects, thanks to support from the Fund. They include:
- School Biodiversity Fund - Funding for local schools to develop Biodiversity Action Plans for their grounds, including tree planting and food growing
- Tree Planting Fund - Providing grants to local groups, schools or community organisations to plant native trees across ɬ
- School Food Waste Composting – For schools which don’t have food waste uplift, this initiative would investigate setting up of local composting solutions
- Control of invasive non-native species on Council assets – a four-year eradication plan for spraying or removal Japanese Knotweed, Rhododendron ponticum and other invasive plants
- Woodland Planting at Dalinlonghart, Dunoon – Replanting of a previously forested area which was harvested, producing a long-term income source from newly-harvested timber
- Woodland clearance and native replanting at Kilmory Estate/Kilmory Business Park – Clearance of over mature trees from woodland around Kilmory Estate and Business Park and re-planting a mix of native species which will enhance local biodiversity
- Nature Networks Mapping project – Creation of Nature Networks which support biodiversity, climate resilience and community wellbeing
- ɬ Local Biodiversity Action Plan refresh – Development of a new framework for Local Biodiversity Action within ɬ for the next 10 years
- Reed bed restoration at Glengorm and Gartbreck landfill sites - Restoration of reed bed filtration systems which are in place to filter and treat leachate from landfill sites
- Perennial Plants, Bowmore Public Realm - Purchase of native shrubs and perennial plants for flower beds at Bowmore public realm
- Playpark enhancement - Complementing the work of the ongoing Play Park Renewal Fund, this would further enhance play areas by converting some tired and outdated hard landscaping to meadow
- Dunbeg Community Woodland – Mitigating the impact of peatland on local areas
- Former skating pond in Helensburgh - Opening up areas of invasive vegetation to allow wildlife and other users access to open water
In addition, Councillors have now approved proposals for the funding to support a range of projects for the coming year including:
- An initiative to use Nature Restoration Funding (NRF) for a programme of biodiversity and habitat restoration on the Council’s land assets
- Biodiversity Action Plan – Implementing a range of nature restoration initiatives on conservation sites across ɬ
- Dunbeg Community Woodland and Biodiversity Enhancement - Developing the adjacent wetlands and exploring proposals to deliver greater community benefit by potentially including visitor interpretation and a wetland walkway
- Oban Airport - Peat mitigation and eradication of invasive species
The Council will also carry out work to eradicate invasive species across the public road network.
Councillor Luna Martin, Policy Lead for Climate Change:
“I am pleased to see the return of the Nature Restoration Fund; this has enabled us to progress a wide range of initiatives which have already delivered benefits for our local communities. This latest round of funding will allow us to enhance existing initiatives and deliver further projects that help ɬ’s advance to net zero. We welcome the additional funding that enables both council services and community groups to contribute to reducing carbon emissions, saving precious habitats and protecting native species for generations to come. ”
Councillor Kieron Green, Policy Lead for Planning and Regulatory Services:
“I welcome this support for improving biodiversity and understanding of local nature sites. This investment is part of our ongoing commitment to protect and enhance the unique places that make ɬ so special. Through informing our emerging Local Development Plan 3, these can continue to be a valuable part of our area for years to come. ”
