Pilot projects are under way to assess how wildlife habitat along transport corridors can be enhanced at the same time as protecting road and rail networks from the impacts of climate change.
The pilots are located in the nature improvement areas (NIAs) in the Humberhead Levels in Yorkshire and Morecambe Bay in Lancashire. They are a collaboration between Natural England, the Highways Agency, Network Rail and the local NIA partnerships.
Consultancy ADAS used geographic information systems to investigate land management methods along road and rail networks. Five methods will now be trialled in the pilot areas for three years.
The project partners hope to use the results to inform a national roll-out. The Highways Agency manages 30,000 hectares of land, while Network Rail manages more than 20,000 miles of track and 650 hectares, including 200 sites of special scientific value.
