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The Sandstone Ridge Trust has been awarded Heritage Lottery Transition funding to lay the foundations for the long-term management of Cheshire's Sandstone Ridge for the benefit and enjoyment of present and future generations.
This new funding awarded to the Trust and supported by Cheshire West and Chester Council presents a wonderful opportunity to create a strong partnership and strategic management framework that can promote the area's qualities, and secure the necessary long-term financial and community investment to create an attractive environment in which businesses and local communities can continue to thrive.
The project started in January 2017 and is running until December 2018. Key elements are to:
- Involve local people and groups for their opinions, and combine them with evidence and policy analysis to understand the key issues, needs and opportunities facing the conservation and enjoyment of the natural beauty and special qualities of the Ridge
- Pull together a Sandstone Ridge "family" of stakeholders, that harnesses talent and commitment, and encourages everyone to get actively involved in looking after the area and shaping its future
- Create a brand and identity for the Ridge that strengthens partnership working and helps to unlock potential investment opportunities for environmental, cultural, access, education, health, rural tourism, and land management projects — adding value to what is already being done in the area
- Investigate potential landscape-scale delivery models in the UK and abroad, and assess their suitability for transferring to the Sandstone Ridge
- Join up the efforts of partners, agencies and administrators so that resources are used to best effect.
In May 2018 the Trust released two key reports on which it is asking partners for their views during the summer:
Key Insights (with accompanying Sandstone Ridge Atlas) — from the evidence base that has been gathered during 2017 from socio-economic and environmental data, what people have said, and a review of key policy documents), and
Delivery Model Options Appraisal — our review of appropriate models for the future long-term management of the Sandstone Ridge.