Cockshut Restoration Project in Lewes wins three prestigious awards for outstanding environmental achievements
Lewes District Council (LDC) is celebrating after the collaborative efforts behind the Cockshut Restoration Project were recognised on Wednesday, July 2.
LDC said the project won three prestigious accolades at the Sussex Heritage Trust Awards 2025 for its ‘outstanding achievements in landscape, ecology, and its positive impact on the South Downs’.
The project is a partnership between the council, the Ouse & Adur Rivers Trust (OART) and the Lewes Railway Land Wildlife Trust.
Councillor Emily O'Brien, Cabinet Member for Climate, Nature and Food Systems at Lewes District Council, said: “I’m absolutely thrilled that the Cockshut Restoration Project has been so highly recognised at the Sussex Heritage Trust Awards, not just once but three times over! This project truly embodies what we can achieve when we work together – it’s a shining example of how strong partnerships can deliver incredible results for nature and our community. Witnessing this area transform into a thriving haven for wildlife and a beloved space for residents is truly inspiring, and I couldn't be prouder of everyone involved.”
LDC explained that the project involved the realignment of the Cockshut chalk stream and the creation of six hectares of wetland in Lewes Brooks. The council said Lewes Brooks has become a vital habitat for wildlife, like herons, kingfishers, egrets and many species of dragonflies.
The Cockshut Restoration Project received the Landscape and Gardens Award, the ECO Award and the South Downs Award, having previously won the South Downs National Park 2024 Design Awards for Landscape and the People's Choice Award.
Peter King, director of the Ouse & Adur Rivers Trust, said: “We’re delighted to see the Cockshut Restoration Project recognised throughout the Sussex Heritage Trust Awards and fantastic to see nature restoration at the top of the agenda. Collecting three awards was wholly unexpected and is a testament to the hard work of everyone involved in the project from its initial conception all the way through to now. Without the support of a wide range of groups, individuals and organisations the project would not be the success it has become – this is partnership working at its best.”
LDC said judges praised the Cockshut Restoration Project for its ‘remarkable creation of a chalk stream wetland with community, council and water management teams,’ calling it a ‘superb landscaping of a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) being validated by breeding wildfowl, transient wildlife populations and local people walking with interest in the biodiversity of their project’. They also called it ‘a model project in managing a process to maximise diversity’. Announcing the ECO Award, judges also said the scheme is ‘an exemplary demonstration of environmental regeneration, transforming a neglected and overlooked site into a thriving wetland rich in biodiversity and public value’.
An LDC spokesperson continued: “They commended its embrace of natural processes, such as ‘managed flooding for carbon capture,’ and lauded its ‘collaborative approach, engaging community, council, and conservation partners,’ as setting ‘a powerful precedent for nature-led design and climate resilience in challenging environments.’
“The South Downs Award recognised the project for providing ‘positive change, informed by the historic landscape and one that can be replicated elsewhere, giving landowners the inspiration.’ Judges observed that ‘the site after 18 months has an abundance of wildlife,’ and applauded it as ‘an excellent example of a partnership that has given nature the opportunity to recover and a place for wildlife and people to enjoy.’
“Funding for the project was provided by South Downs National Park Authority, Veolia Environmental Trust and Lewes District Council.”