The first meeting of the Isle Heritage Lottery Advisory Group took place last week, attended by officers of North Lincolnshire Council. The group will develop to become the formal advisory body to administer the £1.9 million Heritage Lottery Grant for the Isle and Thorne and Crowle Moor area.
The lottery grant was recently announced and aims to improve access to the Moors and to also enhance the heritage of the Isle of Axholme. The Marshland villages and Blacktoft Sands should also benefit from broader links on the Moors. Andrew will chair the new body which will also include a number of local Councillors and representatives covering the Isle, the East Riding and Doncaster Councils which also have an interest in this matter.
Andrew reports, "A number of exciting projects are already being spoken about in relation to this funding. This includes the very exciting idea of creating a linked up Isle of Axholme Greenway that would utilise the route of the old railway.
“A lot of work is going to be undertaken on this project and we are hoping that we can lever in other funding too. Officers of the local Councils are already engaged in working up the engagement strategy so that local residents can have a say and influence the schemes that will be supported by this funding. We want to see the fund used to preserve heritage and open up the Isle and the Moors to access.
“It can also play an important role in our other desire which is to turn the area into an even more attractive tourist and leisure destination.”
Liz Redfern adds, "This is an incredibly important project for the Isle of Axholme. We have a great deal of history locally and it is important that this is formally recognised and made available. I am particularly keen to see the further development of the Isle Greenway walking, cycling and bridle route, particularly the extension to the North of the Isle. This is a massive project which will be fantastic for residents and visitors alike and will take up to two years to complete, we will however have a fantastic attraction when completed."
