Pond creation and restoration – funding and advice

Pond in the middle of a green space, with trees surrounding it

Claylands pond (credit: M Watson)

Pond creation and restoration – funding and advice

Norfolk Wildlife Trust Advisers can provide advice on the management and restoration of ponds on your land and help you to find ways to fund this wildlife-friendly work.

Following a free site visit, our Advisors will be able to confirm if your pond restoration work is eligible for funding via Natural England’s District Level Licensing scheme. We can then organise and oversee all pond restoration work at no cost to the landowner.

Funding for pond restoration

Natural England’s District Level Licensing scheme (DLL) can pay for 100% of the cost of restoring existing ponds and creating of new ponds.

Work covered by the fund includes tree/scrub removal and pre and post work surveys, which can be undertaken by Norfolk Wildlife Trust. You can then be paid to carry out the restoration work yourself or NWT can arrange a contractor. Ponds restored can be existing ponds or ‘ghost’ ponds - which are ponds that have been previously filled in.

The scheme can also fund the creation of new ponds in suitable locations.

Map of Norfolk with turquoise and purple markings showing the eligible areas for Natural England's DLL funding for

Natural England DLL funding

To be eligible for Natural England’s DLL funding, your ponds need to be within Natural England’s Strategic Opportunity Areas.

Find out if your land is in one of the eligible areas

Funding criteria

For existing ponds

should be in need of restoration via mud removal and/or tree/scrub clearance.
should not have great crested newts in them currently (we can do a records check via the Norfolk Biodiversity Information Centre to see if there have been records in the ponds).

For restorations and new ponds (after the work is completed)

should hold water through at least two summers in three on average.
should be between 150 and 1,000 square metres in size.
should be between 1 and 3.5 metres in depth at the deepest point, and preferably be shallow sided.
have at least a 3-metre buffer around the pond if located near sources of nutrients or pollution.
should not be connected to ditches or land drains, to ensure the best possible water quality.
should not have fish present, to maximise the widest range of biodiversity in the pond.