In 2020, the National Trust (NT) announced the purchase of a stretch of coastal land between Sutton on Sea and Chapel St Leonards, Lincolnshire. The land covers an area of 30 hectares and cost the NT £800,000 to purchase – the funds for which were raised through donations.
The NT has now revealed its plans for habitat restoration at the site near Sandilands, which will include open water and islands, reed-beds, grassland and sand dunes, with birds to be among the key beneficiaries of the landscape change.
The plans, approved by East Lindsey District Council indicate that an existing building on site is to be renovated to a cafe and community space. At the northern tip of the reserve, a visitor welcome centre will be designed and is reported to run carbon-neutrally.
According to the NT, the works on the adaptations to the land and the on-site visitor hub would be completed in 2025.