SEPA’s Water Environment Restoration fund

The water environment in Scotland is not only an intrinsic part of our landscape but also a vital asset; it provides habitats to support wildlife and ecosystems, and resources for our tourism, recreation, agricultural and energy industries. However, over the years it has been subject to impact from various physical pressures, with the result that many rivers, lochs, wetlands and coastlines are now a shadow of what they once were.

The water environment restoration fund is your opportunity to secure funding and support to improve Scotland’s water environment for you and future generations. The fund is open to a broad range of interest groups, including community groups, fishery trusts, environmental charities and landowners. Only those who already have a duty to undertake works cannot apply to the fund. Projects can be as simple as promoting native bank side vegetation, or as complex as a catchment scale works to remove hard engineering whilst incorporating natural flood management.

Detailed funding information is also available, specifically on how funding decisions are made, how we allocate money, how we prioritise funding and other funding sources. Please make sure you read all the detailed information before applying.

The fund’s purpose

SEPA works to preserve and improve the water environment through regulation, monitoring and planning. The Water Framework Directive (WFD) requires SEPA to prevent the deterioration of aquatic ecosystems and, where possible, restore surface waters and groundwaters damaged by human activities to ‘good status’ (as defined by the directive) by 2015. Where possible, we are improving Scotland’s water environment through regulatory means such as the Controlled Activities Regulations (CAR) by licensing and monitoring individuals and companies that carry out activities which can adversely affect the water environment. However, if an activity was undertaken before CAR, eg straightening, or where it is an abandoned, redundant structure such as an old mill weir the restoration fund could be used to tackle it instead.

What we will fund

Although SEPA will lead on projects at a strategic level across the country, we are keen to see improvements delivered through partnership working, with external stakeholders taking forward projects on the ground.

We welcome applications from projects that contribute to the WFD objectives, as set out in Scotland’s river basin management plans (see back of leaflet), and tackle physical pressures affecting the water environment. Ideally, the project should also deliver wider environmental, social and economic benefits.

Projects can be as simple as planting native bank side vegetation or as complex as a catchment scale process restoration or large dam removal. Other examples include:

restoring natural processes in rivers, lochs or wetlands;
engineering degraded rivers to restore natural profiles by, for example, recreating meanders;
removing or modifying weirs to improve fish passage, flow and sediment movement;
restoring flood plains, intertidal zones and wetlands;
controlling non-native invasive bank side and in-stream plants;
scoping studies to assess costed options for physical restoration works.

It is vital that any scoping study delivers costed, viable solutions for restoration that can be taken forward to physical works.

Who can apply

The fund is open to a broad range of groups and organisations, including community groups, fishery trusts, environmental charities and landowners. Those with a regulatory duty to undertake certain mitigation or improvement works cannot apply, however local authorities can apply for funds towards capital costs for projects that are broader than their remit.

How and when to apply

Applicants should contact SEPA’s restoration specialist as early as possible in the process to discuss project proposals. Guidance and advice can then be provided on the suitability of the project and how to progress with any potential applications to the fund.

Restoration Specialist
SEPA
Inverdee House
Baxter St
Torry
Aberdeen
AB11 9QA

restoration.proposals@sepa.org.uk

Deadlines for projects:

Projects seeking more than £10,000

There are now five funding rounds for projects seeking funding of greater than £10k in 2011-2012, with an additional date being added in January. The deadlines for applications are: