Heather Kidd welcomes project to restore habitats at old industrial sites in rural Shropshire

A new nature recovery project, the Rescuing Rocks and Overgrown Relics scheme, is will restore natural habitats at four sites in the Shropshire Hills. The locations involved include Poles Coppice in Pontesbury, Snailbeach and The Bog.

The work will include scrub management and coppicing to expose rocky habitats that support species like slow worms, grayling butterflies and bird's-foot-trefoil. 

It will be carried out by Shropshire Council's outdoor partnership team and the Shropshire Hills National Landscape team, with help from volunteers.

Heather Kidd, the Liberal Democrat leader of Shropshire Council, told BBC News she is delighted by the project:

"Bringing these historic sites back to life for both nature and people is a fantastic example of partnership working in the Shropshire Hills.

"It's especially welcome that this important work is being funded by Defra, supporting our shared commitment to nature recovery without placing additional pressure on local council budgets."