Major funding brings boost to popular river haven in South Downs National Park
July 21, 2025
Much-needed improvements are on the way to a nature reserve in Petersfield to make it even better for wildlife and visitors.
Funding of around £350,000 will be invested to improve Rotherlands Local Nature Reserve, a 7.6-hectare (19-acre) wildlife haven that includes a stretch of the River Rother and is home to otter, brown trout, and kingfisher.
It comes as erosion of the riverbanks has increased in recent years, with more invasive species taking hold, and pathways around the site are often water-logged during the winter months.
The project will improve access and water quality at the reserve, as well as help biodiversity to flourish.
The majority of the funding has come from National Grid’s Landscape Enhancement Initiative, with additional funding from Southern Water. The partners on the project are the South Downs National Park Authority, Western Sussex Rivers Trust, and the landowners, East Hampshire District Council and Petersfield Town Council. A range of organisations and local groups will help deliver the project.
Work is due to start in September and be completed by 2028.
Among the improvements will be:
- Tree planting and hedging to reduce the visual impact of electricity pylons and improve tranquility.
- Enhance pathways to ensure they are more accessible year-round and to prevent further erosion.
- Improve the woodland by planting native trees and shrubs, including Sussex Black Poplar, Britain’s rarest native hardwood tree that thrives in wetlands.
- New interpretation boards and riverside viewing platforms for people to be able to appreciate and learn more about the reserve’s wildlife.
- A dedicated “dog beach” to help riverbanks flourish.
- Preserve river features that are important for fish spawning using logs, woody debris, chestnut stakes and brushwood berms.
- Restore a boardwalk and pond platform.
- Create a short circular walk by planting a tree-lined pathway to link up with the enhanced routes in the reserve.
- Take a partnership approach to tackling invasive non-native species such as Himalayan balsam, American Skunk Cabbage and Giant Hogweed.
- Establish a Rotherlands Volunteer Group to help with longer-term maintenance of the site.
Chloe Clarke, Rother Partnership Coordinator at the Western Sussex Rivers Trust, which is delivering the scheme, said: “We are delighted the project has been successfully funded. We are looking forward to engaging with the community and working with a range of fantastic organisations to enhance this stretch of the river, hopefully ensuring people get to know and love the Rother as much as we do.”
Laura Sercombe, Director of Landscape and Strategy (interim) at the National Park Authority, said: “We made a commitment as part of the newly formed Rother Partnership to restore the river to a state worthy of a National Park and this is one of the first projects to be delivered as part of that landscape-scale commitment.
“It’s exciting to be announcing this project which will create long-term local and downstream benefits for wildlife and water quality, providing a beautiful natural habitat that can be valued and enjoyed by the community who use it.”
Environmentalist and broadcaster Chris Baines, who chairs National Grid’s independent Stakeholder Advisory Group for National Grid’s VIP project*, said: “For over ten years, the Landscape Enhancement Initiative has been making a positive contribution towards preserving and enhancing the natural beauty, cultural heritage, biodiversity as well as accessibility within England and Wales’s most precious landscapes.
“It’s a privilege to be working with stakeholders to provide funding for this important project in the South Downs National Park. We are looking forward to seeing the improvements being made to the natural habitats at Rotherlands Local Nature Reserve which will help to make this beautiful and peaceful location even more enjoyable to visit.”
Cllr Robert Mocatta, East Hants District Council portfolio holder for Regeneration and Prosperity (which includes climate and environment), said: “We’re pleased to be working on this partnership project to support habitat improvements in the Rotherlands Local Nature Reserve. The council is committed to conserving and enhancing the natural environment and this project goes to the heart of that commitment.
“The delivery of this project will support the conservation of biodiversity on our land and within a nature reserve that supports special river-based habitats and species.”
Jayde Taylor, Petersfield Town Council’s Climate Projects Officer, said: “Petersfield Town Council is delighted to be playing an active role in the Rotherlands Project—an exciting initiative focused on enriching the local landscape, increasing biodiversity, and expanding tree cover.
“This collaborative effort, led by the Western Sussex River Trust and supported by a range of partners, is delivering lasting improvements to natural habitats and enhancing the ecological health of the area.
“Importantly, the project aligns with the Council’s Management Plan for the Rotherlands, which sets out a long-term vision to conserve and enhance the site’s natural habitats and biodiversity, while also promoting sustainable community engagement, education, and responsible public access.
“The initiative underscores the Town Council’s commitment to environmental stewardship and our aspiration to create a healthier, more resilient environment for the benefit of both wildlife and the local community – now and into the future.”
- The project is the first being delivered under the newly formed Rother Partnership, established to enhance and restore the river Western Rother to a state worthy of a National Park. The Partnership is a collaboration between organisations, farmers, landowners and local communities to come together and deliver projects to allow the River Rother to flourish again.
- The Western Rother flows entirely through the South Downs National Park rising initially as a chalk stream around Empshott in Hampshire and flows through rural, agricultural land joining the Arun at Stopham, Pulborough in West Sussex. https://wsrt.org.uk/about/our-projects/the-rother-partnership