East Devon MP visits multi-million-pound investment into nature recovery in Budleigh Salterton 

Simon Jupp MP visited the Lower Otter Restoration Project (LORP) on Friday the 24th of March to support the multi-million-pound investment into Budleigh Salterton’s natural environment. 

He was accompanied by Dan Boswell (LORP Project Manager) and Andrea Ayres (Area Operations Manager) of the Environment Agency.

The LORP is a ground-breaking local project led by the UK Environment Agency to reinforce future resilience of the local environment whilst enhancing natural habitats and flood defences along the River Otter. 

The project creates 55 hectares of additional native habitat, including new species-rich hedgerows and hundreds of trees which will attract greater biodiversity and strengthen the local ecosystem.

The MP for East Devon planted a tree on the site of the old domestic tip before visiting the newly raised South Farm Road, which is now open to the public following the completion of the new 500-metre embankment and 30-metre bridge.

Simon Jupp, MP for East Devon, said;  “This is a major project and huge investment in East Devon’s nature, worth nearly £12 million, which will provide the local area with strong flood defences, greater biodiversity, and a more resilient ecosystem for decades to come. We are already seeing its positive impacts including the opening of the raised South Farm Road and the return of species like the white-fronted goose in much higher numbers than ever before. I want to thank the multi-stakeholder team for all their hard work restoring nature here in East Devon.”

Andrea Ayres, Area Operations Manager at the Environment Agency, said; “We have planted around 23,000 trees in total, a wide variety of native species which will have many benefits including increasing the biodiversity on site. The total includes 2 hectares of broadleaf woodland on what was an old domestic tip, as the trees grow this will become a pleasant green space for the public. It’s really exciting to start seeing the changes and positive impact that LORP will have.”