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Nature North showcases northern investment opportunities at landmark investor event

Wigan Flashes - credit Lancashire Wildlife Trust

The Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside was delighted to be part of the twelfth Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), showcasing opportunities to invest in nature recovery across the north of England.
  • More than 50 cross-sector organisations are collaborating through Nature North to deliver large scale, investable nature recovery across the North of England.
  • At a landmark event alongside the twelfth Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), investors visited three projects demonstrating the North of England’s nature investment potential: Wigan Greenheart, Smithills Estate and Castlefield Viaduct.
  • Investing in nature recovery supports economic growth and delivers multiple returns, reduced flood and drought risk, carbon storage, green jobs and improved water quality.

Nature North – a pioneering collaboration including businesses and infrastructure providers, conservation NGOs, Natural England, the Environment Agency, National Parks and Landscapes, local authorities and land managers – joined Greater Manchester Combined Authority to showcase the investment potential of nature recovery projects across the North.

The Flashes of Wigan and Leigh

By Tony Da Silva

Business, finance and government delegates attending the IPBES 12 international biodiversity conference and parallel programme toured three pioneering projects: 

  • Wigan Greenheart natural flood management scheme covering 1,400 hectares of former industrial land;
  • Woodland creation and peatland restoration across 1,700 acres at Smithills Estate;
  • Castlefield Viaduct, which has transformed a Grade II listed railway structure into a sky garden in central Manchester.
Tom Burditt and Claire Louise Chapman at the IPBES conference

LWT's Tom Burditt and Claire Louise Chapman at the IPBES conference

Dr Tom Burditt, CEO of The Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside said: “Having the world of biodiversity conservation, science, policy and business investment come to our home patch of Manchester was a great thing to be a part of. Even better though to be able to take some of the delegates out to Wigan Greenheart to show how LWT, our partners like Wigan Council, and the local community have been working to transform the former Bickershaw Colliery first into a core part of the Flashes of Wigan and Leigh National Nature Reserve, and now to a place symbolising the new world of how we can bring a blend of both public and private money to fund nature’s recovery. This will make this place even better for the people of Wigan, Leigh, Greater Manchester and Beyond, and of course for the precious wildlife of the area including our willow tits, wildflowers and (hopefully) bitterns. This special landscape and its people keep delivering on both a local and global scale: first with the Industrial Revolution, and now with the Green Revolution”.

The event showcased investment opportunities in the North of England's natural environment and nature recovery projects. Attendees heard how restoring nature can boost the regional economy and learned about Nature North's role in linking investors with trustworthy projects that benefit the environment and offer financial returns.

Mike Innerdale, Chair of Nature North and Regional Director, National Trust said: "This event demonstrated that a thriving environment and sustainable economic growth can go hand in hand – nature is a foundation for growth, not a barrier.

"By identifying and matching investors with opportunities in natural flood management, woodland creation, peatland restoration and urban regeneration, we can allow the North of England to lead the way in nature's recovery.”

David Renwick, Regional Director for Natural England in the North and Nature North Board member, said: "As the latest IPBES assessments make clear, nature underpins our nation's health, wealth and security. Natural England is committed to reversing nature's decline, and if we are to succeed in meeting development and growth needs, we must ensure that nature is central to investment decisions.

"Greater Manchester is already showing how development can unlock vital green finance needed to turbo-charge nature recovery. By working with investors and local partners to channel private investment into nature, we can create opportunities that deliver returns for both people and the planet, whilst building the resilient ecosystems our economy depends upon."

Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said: "Greater Manchester is proud to be leading the way on nature recovery. We're the first region in the North to publish a Local Nature Recovery Strategy, we are investing in communities through our Green Spaces Fund and we're working closely with our local authorities to make sure the benefits of Biodiversity Net Gain stay here in Greater Manchester.

"We know that a healthy natural environment underpins our economy, strengthens our communities and improves quality of life, and that's why nature recovery is central to our vision for a greener, fairer city region."

George Coiley, Sustainability Manager at Northern Powergrid said: “As the company that powers everyday life across the North, we’re investing in our network to accelerate the transition to clean energy and keep customers reliably connected. We know this comes at a time when UK nature is under pressure and many communities lack access to green spaces that support health and wellbeing. Our work with Nature North ensures we develop our network in a way that supports local nature recovery and delivers lasting benefits for the people and places we serve.”

Nature North can support funders and investors to connect with ambitious and large-scale projects that match their goals. If you are interested in the North's nature investment opportunities, contact info@naturenorth.org.uk.

Find out more

Nature North

  • Nature North brings together conservation organisations, businesses and infrastructure providers, National Parks and National Landscapes, Natural England, the Environment Agency, local authorities, land managers and communities to deliver landscape-scale and investment ready nature recovery across the North of England.
  • Nature North’s ‘Investing in Nature for the North, A Strategic Plan for a Nature Positive Regional Economy’ is a clear strategic plan to scale up green investment across the region: Strategy - Nature North
  • The twelfth session of the Plenary of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (#IPBES12) has been hosted by UK Government in Manchester 

Individual project background

  • Smithills Estate is the Woodland Trust's largest site in England, spanning 1,700 acres on the edge of Bolton and forming a key part of the Northern Forest initiative. With 250,000 people living within five miles, it is uniquely positioned to deliver woodland creation and peatland restoration at scale, combining ecological value with community benefit.
  • Wigan Greenheart Landscape Recovery Scheme covers 1,400 hectares of former industrial land across the borough, creating a connected, climate-resilient mosaic of habitats. Led by Lancashire Wildlife Trust, with Wigan Council and Forestry England as core partners. It is one of the UK's most ambitious nature-based regeneration programmes, linking ecological recovery with economic resilience.
  • Castlefield Viaduct has transformed a 130-year-old Grade II listed steel viaduct into a celebrated sky garden in central Manchester. With plans agreed for expansion, the viaduct will form a key part of CyanLines: 100 miles of nature in the city – a bold plan to link Manchester's green and blue spaces. Delivered through collaboration between National Highways, the National Trust and local community partners, it demonstrates how heritage infrastructure can support urban nature recovery. 

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