Growing Goss ERDF Project: River Fal re-naturalisation

Tender description

Cornwall’s Goss Moor National Nature Reserve, managed by Natural England, is located south of the A30 between the villages of St. Dennis and Roche. The Moor’s diverse wetland habitats form the upper floodplains of the River Fal. It is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and is designated as part of the EU's Natura 2000 network as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC). This landscape is characterised by moorland commons surrounded by small family owned livestock farms. As common land the Moor was once a highly valued and integrated part of the local agricultural economy. However, past economic and agricultural changes diminished the Moor’s significance and ultimately led to its abandonment and, in the absence of traditional forms of management, its sustained decline. Its topography and hydrology have seen dramatic alterations as a result of intensive 20th century surface mining for tin and aggregates. This has created a highly disturbed site presenting hydrological and physical challenges to effective management. Natural England, through its Growing Goss project, has received funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) (Priority Axis 6: Preserving and Protecting the Environment and Promoting Resource Efficiency) to restore this iconic site.