A MULTI-million grant has given the green light to a new environmental project to protect the headwaters of the Test and Itchen rivers.

The Heritage Lottery Fund’s (HLF) Landscape Partnership programme has awarded £2.2m to the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust (HIWWT) to work on conserving the distinctive chalk stream habitats of the rivers.

This new project will work with seven communities along the headwater streams the Pihill Brook, Upper Anton, Bourne Rivulet, Upper Test, Candover Brook, River Arle and Cheriton Stream to protect the rivers in the area.

Ali Morse, from the HIWWT, said: “For the first time, the project will bring together a partnership of communities, organisations, businesses and individuals who will all be working to protect and improve the headwater streams that are the lifeblood of our chalk rivers.

“From monitoring river wildlife to restoring degraded rivers, reducing pollution-laden run-off to getting schoolchildren interested in fishing, we’ll all be working to the same goal - to ensure that these wonderful streams are valued, and are in the best condition that they can be.”

The eco-system, home to otters, water voles and white-clawed crayfish and central to the UK’s watercress industry, will see a range of conservation initiatives put to action.

Early plans include restoration of wildlife habitats and historic structures along the river, education programmes for children, a conservation programme for native crayfish and skills development for ‘River Keeper’ volunteers to manage their areas better.

Test Valley’s Friends of the Earth welcomed news of the funding announced on Friday last week.

Group leader Lorien Cadier said: “We would welcome anything that improves access to the Test as at the moment access is poor.

“But, we would want anything to be done acknowledging and respecting current eco-systems as the Test is quite fragile.”

Currently the Test and Itchen landscape is at risk from pollution, drought, flooding and invasive species.

HLF head of landscape and natural heritage Drew Bennellick said: “Across the UK people are increasingly realising that nature is in trouble and it’s time to take a more proactive approach.”

“Schemes like these provide a creative solution to helping people reconnect with landscapes and the environment, to implement solutions at a truly landscape-scale and tackle issues such as soil loss and flooding by supporting partnerships and coalitions of the willing.”