AN ambitious project to conserve natural habitats along the River Garnock has passed the first hurdle in securing funding from the Heritage Lottery.

The Garnock Connections Landscape Partnership, a joint initiative between the RSPB, Scottish Wildlife Trust, Historic Environment Scotland, North Ayrshire Council, Scottish Natural Heritage and SEPA, has been given a “first round pass” in its bid for a £1.5m grant.

The project has been awarded an initial £150,300 in development funding, and the organisers will now work over the next two years to develop their plans.

The Garnock Valley is highly diverse in terms of both its natural and built environments, with chemical plants and factories at its mouth and farmed floodplains further upstream, as well as a range of wetlands, mud flats and meadows which serve as important breeding grounds for wildlife.

The project is to encompass both of these themes, with conservation and wildlife survey work to be undertaken on both the upstream wetlands and the area around the river estuary, in tandem with research and development projects on the history and culture of the river corridor.

And as part of the plans, the “Garnock Tug”, owned by the Scottish Maritime Museum and moored in Irvine Harbour, has been identified for possible restoration as a viewing platform over the nearby Bogside Flats. There are also expected to be training and volunteering opportunities for members of the public wishing to get involved.

Anne McCall, regional director for RSPB Scotland, said: “We’re really delighted that HLF has supported the development of this new landscape partnership project within the Garnock Valley.

“This area has a rich natural and cultural heritage that is closely intertwined, but it is also threatened by a broad range of pressures.

“By working together within this partnership, and with the involvement of local communities, we hope to develop something that will go on to have a lasting legacy for many years to come.”

Councillor Jim Montgomerie, Cabinet Member for Place at North Ayrshire Council, said: “This is a fantastic result for North Ayrshire. We have seen the success of landscape partnership initiatives of this type elsewhere.

“We are excited about the transformational benefits that this project could deliver for the environment, communities and visitors alike, and we can’t wait to work with the partners to make this happen.”

This summer the Heritage Lottery Fund celebrated a total investment of over £100m in over 400 projects which conserve Scotland’s landscape and biodiversity.