Funding of £20,000 from National Highways’ partner on the M25 Junction 10 scheme is being invested in restoring nature. 

National Highways, the Balfour Beatty landscape team, and the Salix nursery near Thetford, Norfolk, have joined forces in an initiative to restore wildflowers and reeds at Bolder Mere Lake near Ockham in Surrey. 

As part of the replanting scheme, seeds have been taken from around Bolder Mere Lake to grow at the nursery in Thetford, before transporting them back to the site near Junction 10 to replant, helping to restore a space for nature, abundant with wildflowers and other wildlife. 

Jonathan Wade, National Highways senior project manager on the M25 junction 10 scheme, said:  

“Our commitment to enhancing biodiversity is part of our mission at National Highways. The partnership with Balfour Beatty and the Salix nursery exemplifies how collaborative efforts can lead to significant environmental improvements. By focusing on initiatives like the replanting scheme at Bolder Mere Lake, we are not only restoring natural habitats but also ensuring that these ecosystems thrive for future generations.”

Kate Mann, Balfour Beatty’s environmental sustainability advisor on the scheme, said:  

“At Balfour Beatty, our work goes beyond the traditional focus of road investment and beyond operating, maintaining and improving roads. 

“This partnership is a powerful reminder of how we can work collaboratively together and for our stakeholders and partners to deliver biodiversity projects that support and enhance the environment. It is great to be helping biodiversity across this important site and be part of this ambition to protect unforgettable places forever.” 

She dded: “Our project team continues to work tirelessly to restore and create these special habitats. Home to butterflies, adders, skylarks and Greater Horseshoe bats, these new habitats will help reverse the decline in these species and keep these wonderful grasslands full of life for generations to come.”