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3rd Dec, 2007
The Black Country's open spaces are in line for the biggest Lottery award ever - £50million, IF enough people vote for them in a national poll this week. The Black Country as Urban Park is one of four shortlisted projects (from an initial list of nearly 200 applications). Each project will feature in its own television programme, the four programmes going out on ITV at about 11 o'clock on four nights this week.
The Black Country bid will transform the area’s countryside, canals and historic sites, and help a million people a year to discover and enjoy them. Places such as the Sandwell Valley, Barr Beacon, and the Wren’s Nest, together with Dudley’s famous limestone caverns and the canal network, will be improved and promoted to local people and visitors. These environmental improvements will turn the towns and villages which were the crucible of the 19th century Industrial Revolution into the cradle of 21st century social and economic regeneration.
Match-funding will double the investment to £100M. This will go to opening up one of the world’s most important geological sites at the Wren’s Nest in Dudley, managing over 1,500 hectares of greenspaces, and involving 3,000 local groups, 300,000 children and 60,000 volunteers in 500 local projects. As a result everyone’s quality of life will be improved, the Black Country will be making its contribution to dealing with climate change, and an extra 300,000 people will visit the area every year.
This could be the biggest windfall ever for nature conservation in an urban area. You can do your bit to help by voting on line at www.thepeoples50million.org.uk now, and then by 'phone between the 7 and 10 December. The 'phone number will be announced on Friday morning by ITV.
Success in the poll will be just reward for the pioneering efforts of the Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the Black Country, and many other people and organisations, who have worked to improve the natural environment in this part of England.
