Riparian Buffer Opportunity Assessment and Delivery Review

UK6 Contract Award Notice for Riparian Buffer Opportunity Assessment and Delivery Review. Wrexham County Borough Council intends to award this contract to the Dee Trust. Riparian buffers are already being delivered in a number of locations across the Dee catchment as part of ongoing efforts to improve habitat and biodiversity. These existing projects demonstrate both the practicality and value of buffer creation, while also highlighting that current delivery is not yet fully comprehensive or strategically targeted. There remains significant opportunity, including utilising the Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS) to expand riparian buffer coverage and, importantly, to improve how and where buffers are implemented so that they deliver the greatest environmental benefit. At present, delivery is influenced by a range of factors including practical farming considerations, funding availability, policy drivers and site-specific constraints. To support more effective targeting and future investment decisions, the Nutrient Management Board requires a clearer understanding of where riparian buffers are most needed, what is currently limiting more strategic delivery, and where the greatest opportunities are to build on existing progress within the catchment. The work shall focus on the reaches of the Dee where farming is more intensive and the potential benefits of riparian buffers greatest.