£8.5m Deal: 'Britain's Yellowstone'

A nature restoration company called Restore has bought a 7,500-acre site in Northumberland, Emblehope Moor, for £8.5m. The site, which is a site of special scientific interest (SSSI), will be restored to bring back golden eagles, curlews, black grouse, and beavers.

The restoration project is part of a larger effort to create a wild landscape in the area, with other estates and organizations also working on nature restoration. The Royal Kennel Club previously managed Emblehope Moor for biodiversity, but Restore's new project aims to take a different approach. The company has a £4.5m loan from Triodos Bank that enabled the purchase of Emblehope Moor, and is seeking to raise £4m to fund its 20-year scheme.

Other private estates in the area, including College Valley and Hepple Wilds, are accelerating nature restoration, and Forestry England is increasingly managing the 148,000-acre Kielder Forest for biodiversity. The Wildlife Trusts are also seeking to buy the 30-year-unavailable Rothbury estate with a £30m fundraising appeal.

## What happens next The restoration project has a unique proposition: after delivering new biodiversity and abundance alongside financial returns for investors and repaying the Triodos Bank loan, it will hand over the site to local community or charitable ownership. This approach aims to prove that a capitalist model can work alongside community benefits, without the need for aggressive land-holding.

## Why it matters The project is part of a larger effort to create a wild landscape in Northumberland, which has been hailed as 'Britain's Yellowstone' by environmentalist Ben Goldsmith. The area's unique landscape and biodiversity make it an ideal location for nature restoration, and the project's success could have significant implications for the future of land ownership and management in the UK. By taking a community-focused approach, Restore hopes to create a model that can be replicated elsewhere, and help to 'take the greed out of' land acquisition.

The project's focus on biodiversity and community ownership could have a lasting impact on the environment and local communities. With other estates and organizations working on similar projects, the area is poised to become a hub for nature restoration and conservation. As the project moves forward, it will be important to monitor its progress and assess its potential for replication elsewhere.